11 - PEACE Institute Charitable Trust

CITES UPDATE
RRCC – Assisting CITES implementation in South Asia
Monthly CITES Update
Published by
Research and Resource Centre for CITES (RRCC)
PEACE Institute Charitable Trust
178-F, Pocket IV, Mayur Vihar I
DELHI – 110091, INDIA
Telefax: 91-11-22719005
E-mail: manojmisra@peaceinst.org
Objectives of RRCC:
In tune with the strategic vision 2005 of CITES, the RRCC endeavours, as a third party,
to facilitate and help realise the following objectives:
• Enhance the ability of each Party to implement the Convention.
• Strengthen the scientific basis of the decision – making processes.
• Contribute to the reduction and ultimate elimination of illegal trade in wild fauna and
flora.
• Promote greater understanding of the Convention.
In carrying out the above mentioned objectives, the RRCC wishes to:
• Facilitate the implementation of the Convention in South Asia
• Facilitate interactions between CITES and other related multilateral agencies
like CMS, IWC, CBD and WTO
Vol. 6 Issue 11 November 2010
Advisor: Samar Singh
Editor: Manoj Kumar Misra
Research and Production: Pushp Jain, Sudha Mohan, Manorama Goswami
Editorial…..
It is well known that an amendment to the appendices of CITES which includes the insertion,
up or down gradation or even deletion of a species of plants and animals into or from one of
the three appendices of the Convention is decided in accordance with a set process followed at
the biennial Conference of Parties (CoP). But it is not as well known that a Party has an option
within a period of 90 days from the date of adoption of an amendment to enter a ‘reservation’
with respect to the said amendment. While it is Article XXIII of the Convention that provides
for a Party on ratification the option of entering a Reservation as under, provisions relating to
entering of a reservation post an amendment at a CoP are carried in Article XV.3 and Article
XVI.2 of the Convention.
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CITES UPDATE
According to Article XXIII (Reservations)
1. The provisions of the present Convention shall not be subject to general reservations.
Specific reservations may be entered in accordance with the provisions of this Article and
Articles XV and XVI.
2. Any State may, on depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession, enter a specific reservation with regard to:
(a) any species included in Appendix I, II or III; or
(b) any parts or derivatives specified in relation to a species included in Appendix III.
3. Until a Party withdraws its reservation entered under the provisions of this Article, it shall
be treated as a State not a Party to the present Convention with respect to trade in the
particular species or parts or derivatives specified in such reservation.
It is the Article XV.3 of the Convention that provides for a reservation post an amendment at a
CoP in the following manner:
“During the period of 90 days provided for in subparagraph (e) of paragraph 1 or
subparagraph (l) of paragraph 2 of this Article, any Party may, by notification in writing to the
depository government (Switzerland), make a reservation with respect to the amendment.
Until such reservation is withdrawn, the Party shall be treated as a State not Party to the
present Convention with respect to trade in the species concerned.”
It may be noted that as worded the reservation process suffers from a practical problem. For
example if a species is through an amendment up listed from say Appendix II to I and a Party
has a problem with such up listing and enters a reservation, it does not automatically means
that the Party ceases to remain a Party to the Convention with respect to trade in the species
concerned, since the same (Party) was already observing the Appendix II norms of
international trade for the species concerned. This paradox needs to be resolved by the
Convention. While resolution Conf.4.25 (rev Conf.14) (we carry its’ text elsewhere in the issue) has
tried to deal with the issue it still needs a better clarification.
Presently as on 23 June 2010, there are 93 reservations entered in respect of species listed in
Appendix I; 115 in respect of species listed in Appendix II and 141 in respect of species listed
in Appendix III. It is interesting to note that no Party from the south Asia region has a current
reservation in place.
The months of October and November 2010 would be recalled for two key events one of which
has just concluded and the other is scheduled.
The tenth CoP of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held from 18-29 October
2010 at Nagoya in Japan. The Secretary General of CITES made an intervention on 28 October
in form of a statement read on behalf of the Secretariats of four biodiversity-related
conventions (Ramsar; World Heritage; CMS and CITES). (We carry its text in the issue).
An International Tiger Summit is planned from 21-24 November 2010 at St. Petersburg in the
Russian Federation. (We shall report about this summit in our next issue).
Happy reading….
Manoj Misra
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 2

CITES UPDATE
CONF. 4.25 (REV. COP14) : RESERVATIONS
RECOGNIZING that, in accordance with Article XXIII of the Convention, a State may, when it
becomes a Party to CITES, enter a reservation with respect to any species included in
Appendix I, II or III, or any parts or derivatives specified in relation to a species included in
Appendix III, and that, in this case, it shall be treated as a State not a Party to the Convention
with respect to trade in the specified species or parts or derivatives until it withdraws such
reservation;
RECOGNIZING that, when Appendix I or II is amended in accordance with Article XV of the
Convention, any Party may, within 90 days, make a reservation with respect to the
amendment, and that, in this case, it shall be treated as a State not a Party to the Convention
with respect to trade in the species concerned until such reservation is withdrawn;
RECOGNIZING FURTHER that, in accordance with Article XVI of the Convention, any Party may
at any time enter a reservation with respect to a species included in Appendix III or any
specified parts or derivatives, and that, in this case, the State shall be treated as a State not a
Party to the Convention with respect to trade in the species or part or derivative concerned
until such reservation is withdrawn;
NOTING that there have been different interpretations of these provisions of the Convention
by Parties;
BELIEVING that the transfer of a species from one Appendix of the Convention to another
must be viewed as a deletion from one Appendix and its simultaneous inclusion in the other;
CONSIDERING that, if a species is deleted from the Appendices, any reservation entered in
relation to that species ceases to be valid;
CONSIDERING also that all Parties should interpret the Convention in a uniform manner;
THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION
RECOMMENDS that any Party having entered a reservation with regard to any species included
in Appendix I treat that species as if it were included in Appendix II for all purposes, including
documentation and control;
AGREES that, if a species is deleted from one Appendix of the Convention and simultaneously
included in another, the deletion shall render invalid any reservation that was in effect in
relation to the species and, consequently, any Party that wishes to maintain a reservation in
relation to the species must enter a new reservation in accordance with Article XV,
paragraph 3, or Article XVI, paragraph 2;
CALLS on the Parties having entered reservations to nevertheless maintain and communicate
statistical records on trade in the species concerned, as part of their annual reports, so that
international trade in specimens of these species may be properly monitored; and
INSTRUCTS the Secretariat to remind affected Parties explicitly of the reservations that will be
rendered invalid, in time for the Parties to renew their reservations if they so desire.
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 3

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NEWS
1. Statement to the High-Level Segment of CBD-COP 10 in Nagoya on 28 October
2010
Intervention by the Executive Heads of the Secretariats of the: Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance; Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage; Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora; and Convention on Migratory Species. Delivered by the Secretary-General of CITES:
“Your Excellency, President of the COP, Honorable Ministers, Executive Secretary of the CBD,
distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
I have the honour of presenting an agreed joint statement on behalf of the Secretariats of four
biodiversity-related conventions, namely the: Ramsar Convention, World Heritage Convention,
CITES and CMS.
Each of the conventions I am speaking for today has a very specific mandate, and while they
may be more targeted in scope than the CBD, they contribute towards achieving the same
objectives of supporting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
They are longstanding, complementary and effective tools, designed to be highly operational
and to make a difference on-the-ground – with each having between 114 and 187 Parties. And
it is through these Conventions that the international community has:
- provided the framework for national action and international cooperation for the
conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources1;
- put in place a scheme for the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and
transmission to future generations of the world’s cultural and natural heritage2;
- created a robust regulatory regime to ensure that no species of wild fauna or flora is subject
to unsustainable exploitation through international trade3; and
- established the framework for the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and
migratory routes4.
Distinguished delegates,
As you can see, while we may have unique histories and mandates, and in some cases
different Parties, we are joined by a common objective of supporting the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity, and by a collective desire to see more effective implementation
of conventions at the country level, including through making best use of National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plans.
The Secretariats of five biodiversity-related conventions met last month, in a retreat convened
by the Executive Secretary of CBD, to prepare for this COP5. Amongst other matters, we
supported6 the adoption of an inclusive strategic plan for biodiversity and agreed that National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans should cover the full range of activities needed to
implement biodiversity-related conventions.7
If adopted at COP 10, this approach would help to achieve greater effectiveness and
coherence with the implementation of these conventions at the national level. It would also
enhance the ability of countries to use existing financial resources more effectively, including
most importantly resources available to Parties under the GEF, and to attract additional
financing.
States have already invested significant time, effort and financial resources into the
negotiation, ratification and implementation of each biodiversity-related convention, with
major milestones having been achieved in Stockholm in 1972 and Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
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And while we may not have met the 2010 target set in Johannesburg in 2002, the valuable
contribution of each of our conventions towards meeting the agreed subsidiary targets has
been critical, as is reflected in the findings of GBO 3.
We need to recognize and learn from this vast body of experience in considering the 2020
targets, as we continue to build on the scientific, legislative, administrative, and other
capacities that have been progressively built to implement these conventions over the past 40
years.
Distinguished delegates,
States are sovereign and determine their own international commitments, and the national
activities they wish to prioritize. Equally, each convention’s COP is sovereign and therefore
determines its own strategies. Decisions about these matters will properly vary from country
to country and convention to convention, but the strategy for biodiversity adopted at this
meeting should provide a framework that is relevant to all of them.
We believe that the adoption of an inclusive strategic plan with robust and relevant targets8
that enables the reality of each country to be reflected through their National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plans, will contribute towards more coherent and effective on-the-ground
action. On behalf of the Secretariats of the Ramsar Convention, World Heritage Convention,
CITES and CMS, I sincerely thank you President and wish Parties well for a successful COP.
2. Remarks by John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) made during the
Global Tiger Initiative side-event at the 10th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Nagoya, Japan, 28 October 2010
The subject of conservation of tigers is one that the CITES community has given a special
focus to over many years. The CITES Secretariat has also been a very active player in the
Global Tiger Initiative, since the President of the World Bank asked the Secretariat to take the
lead in providing enforcement-related advice to the Initiative.
Many of the pressures that tigers currently face, such as loss of habitat, conflict with humans
and their livestock, and a declining prey base, are being addressed by others. It is in the fields
of regulating trade, or combating illegal trade, that the expertise of CITES has been called
upon.
This event takes place during the Chinese Year of the Tiger, the International Year of
Biodiversity and during this meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on
Biological Diversity. It is an appropriate time and place to focus on the tiger as one of our
planet’s flagship species. The well-being of the tiger reflects the health (or otherwise) of the
forests and jungles in which it lives. Regrettably, the ever-declining numbers of tigers tell us
that many of those habitats are similarly under pressure.
In 1999, a CITES technical mission team visited 14 tiger range States, and what we refer to as
consumer States. It found that the law enforcement officers tasked with protecting tigers in
the wild and combating illegal trade in these magnificent creatures were often underresourced,
poorly paid, and inadequately trained. Many of the Team’s conclusions and
recommendations remain valid and relevant today, despite a decade having passed.
Good enforcement work is being conducted but obviously not often enough. This is particularly
frustrating if one acknowledges that illegal trade in tigers is not especially widespread. Much of
it appears to be conducted by a relatively limited number of individuals or groups and is
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 5

CITES UPDATE
destined for specialized markets or consumers. Although some of these markets and
consumers are clandestine in nature, they are nonetheless open to infiltration and targeting.
The CITES Secretariat believes that much of today’s illegal trade in tigers could be markedly
reduced, if concerted, collective efforts were made by the law enforcement community against
those involved in these destructive crimes.
It was with a view to bringing support to the law enforcement community that the CITES
Secretariat promoted the concept of what has come to be known as the International
Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC). The Consortium, intended to consist of
CITES, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank, and the
World Customs Organization, aims to introduce a new era of wildlife law enforcement, one
where wildlife criminals will face a formidable, coordinated opposition, rather than the present
situation where the risk of detection and punishment is all too low. To achieve this goal,
ICCWC is intended to work for, and with, the national-level wildlife law enforcement
community, since it is these frontline officers who bring criminals to justice.
It is our fervent hope that the forthcoming International Tiger Forum in St Petersburg will see
the formal launch of the Consortium. As many of you will know, the potential support offered
by agencies involved in the Consortium now features as a major component of the Global
Tiger Recovery Program, which representatives of tiger range States will be asked to endorse
in St Petersburg. We need to bring our collective efforts together to assist national authorities
tackle this growing area of criminal activity if we are to achieve our biodiversity targets.
Enforcement alone will not, of course, save the tiger. But it is significant that it is seen as a
very high priority by the range States and the wider conservation community. We’ve noted
this emphasis with regard to other CITES Appendix I species which are threatened with
extinction, such as the mountain gorilla in Africa.
Eco-tourism has been helpful in safeguarding mountain gorillas and it can be helpful for tigers
in some of their habitats also. But we should not be shy about also emphasizing the
importance of effective enforcement. After all, every tiger skin that enters into trade and every
tiger skeleton that crosses a border shows that our conservation management has failed and
brings the species ever closer to extinction.
Good enforcement work is being done and today I want to tell you about one excellent
example. On 23rd August this year, at Bangkok’s international airport, a passenger’s baggage
was subjected to X-ray screening. The airport security staff became suspicious of the contents
and they summoned the CITES officials that are stationed at the port. When the baggage was
searched, it was found to be full of stuffed tiger toys, the type of object that a child would
cuddle. However, to their astonishment, hidden within these toy tigers was a real live tiger
cub. Needless to say, the traveller was arrested and the tiger was seized and is being cared
for.
It is clearly commendable that this poor animal was prevented from being traded illegally.
However, what is really commendable is that the airport security staff in Bangkok has been
specifically trained to be alert to the smuggling of wildlife. They were trained by the
Programme Coordination Unit of ASEAN-WEN (the wildlife enforcement network that has been
established among the countries of South East Asia), with support from the wildlife monitoring
NGO TRAFFIC and the United States Agency for International Development.
I’m delighted that the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, The
Honourable Suwit Khunkitti who was recently awarded the J. Paul Getty Award for
Conservation Leadership, is with us today. He initiated and chaired the 1st Asia Ministerial
Conference on Tiger Conservation hosted by the Government of Thailand in cooperation with
the Global Tiger Initiative in early this year. I’m also delighted, because I’d like to announce
that we have decided that the Airports of Thailand Public Company and the CITES Wildlife
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 6

CITES UPDATE
Checkpoint of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department of the
Government of Thailand, at Bangkok airport, are to be awarded the CITES Secretary-General’s
Certificate of Commendation. Certificates of Commendation are awarded in recognition of
exemplary enforcement activities, and the seizure of the tiger cub undoubtedly offers an
excellent example to other countries. I hope that more governments will move to raise
awareness of wildlife smuggling among their port security staff and I look forward to
presenting the Certificates personally, when I visit Thailand, which will host the CITES COP16
in 2013, later this year
I’m firmly convinced that, if we get things right for the tiger, we will also get things right for
its habitats and the fauna and flora which are found there.
I’d like to close by thanking:
- the organizers of this event for their invitation to speak;
- the World Bank for all its efforts in relation to the Global Tiger Initiative, and especially its
President, Robert Zoellick, for the strong personal leadership, passion and enthusiasm he is
bringing to this excellent collaboration to save the remaining wild tigers;
- Minister Suwit for his personal commitment to conservation and his country’s commitment to
CITES and congratulating again Thailand’s officials for saving one particular tiger; and
- saying how honoured CITES staff are to be playing a role in tiger conservation.
Finally, future generations should not have to look at tigers behind bars in a zoo. Instead, it is
those criminals who poach and trade tigers that should be the ones behind bars.
CITES NOTIFICATIONS
(Here we carry the operational part of Notifications issued by the CITES Secretariat that bear relevance to the Parties
in South Asia – Editor)
NOTIFICATION No. 2010/028 dated 15 October 2010
CONCERNING: Reservations
1. The Depositary Government (the Government of the Swiss Confederation) has informed
the Secretariat that, within the deadline foreseen in the text of the Convention, Canada
entered a reservation with respect to the amendments to Appendices I and II adopted by
the Conference of the Parties at its 15th meeting (CoP15, Doha, 2010), as a result of the
necessity to complete its domestic legal requirements for the entry into force of these
amendments.
2. The above information was communicated officially to the signatory and acceding States of
the Convention through a Notification from the Depositary Government.
3. The Secretariat has revised the list of current reservations to incorporate the reservations
entered by Canada and to follow the standard nomenclatures adopted at CoP15 [listed in
Resolution Conf. 12.11 (Rev. CoP15)]. In addition, the annotations have been updated to
reflect the amendments adopted at that meeting.
4. The current list of reservations entered by Parties is annexed to this Notification and is
available on the CITES website under ‘Official documents / Reservations’.
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 7

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NOTIFICATION No. 2010/030 dated 28 October 2010
CONCERNING: Secretary-General’s Certificate of Commendation
1. In 2002, the Secretariat advised the Parties of the introduction of certificates of
commendation that would be issued, at the Secretary-General’s discretion, to recognize
exemplary actions related to enforcement.
2. The latest such Certificates are to be awarded to the Airports of Thailand Public Company
and the CITES Wildlife Checkpoint of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
Department of the Government of Thailand, at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok.
3. The Certificates are being awarded in recognition of a seizure, made at Suvarnabhumi
Airport on 23 August 2010, when officials of the two agencies discovered a person
attempting to smuggle a live tiger cub out of the country. The tiger had been carefully
concealed in baggage but was discovered during X-ray screening.
4. It is commendable, especially during the Chinese Year of the Tiger and at a time when the
species is under threat of extinction, that this live tiger was prevented from being traded
illegally.
5. Additionally, this seizure demonstrates the importance of raising awareness of illegal trade
in wildlife among port security personnel, who are ideally placed to detect instances of
smuggling. The CITES Secretariat notes that such personnel in Thailand have received
training of this nature, which was delivered by the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network’s
Programme Coordination Unit and TRAFFIC, and funded by USAID.
6. The date and venue for the presentation of the certificates have yet to be decided.
CITES CALENDAR
(We carry here information about such events in the CITES calendar which directly impact or relate to the CITES
Parties in South Asia region - Editor)
8-11 November 2010: 79th INTERPOL General Assembly, Doha, Qatar
21-24 November 2010: International Tiger Summit, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
6-7 December 2010: 9th meeting of the MIKE Technical Advisory Group, Nairobi, Kenya
9-11 January 2011: Non-detriment findings and the Review of Significant Trade for Plant
species, Kathmandu, Nepal
31 January 2011 - Deadline set in Resolution Conf. 10.10 (Rev. CoP14) for Parties that hold a
stock of raw ivory within their territory to inform the Secretariat of the level of that stock,
indicating the source of the ivory
17 February 2011 - Deadline for the submission of documents for the 19th meeting of the
CITES Plants Committee
18-21 April 2011 - 19th meeting of the CITES Plants Committee, Geneva, Switzerland
19 May 2011: Deadline for the submission of documents for consideration at the 25th meeting
of the CITES Animals Committee
16 June 2011: Deadline for the submission of documents for consideration at the 61st meeting
of the CITES Standing Committee
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18-22 July 2011: 25th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, Geneva, Switzerland
15-19 August 2011 - 61st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee, Geneva, Switzerland
NOTABLE SEIZURES
(We carry here relevant information on recent seizures of wildlife items from countries in South Asia region – Editor)
Poacher held (Source: The Hindu, Chennai, 21 September 2010)
The anti-naxal operation team of Theni and Dindigul districts has secured a poacher of
Virudhunagar district.
V. Balakrishnan, Superintendent of Police, Theni district, said following a tip-off that Vanaraj
was in possession of a country-made weapon, a police team arrested him from his house at
Watrap more than a fortnight ago. A case under Section 25 (1) A of the Indian Arms Act has
been registered. When contacted, Forest Department sources said Vanaraj was suspected to
be involved in poaching in Varushanadu and Vellimalai forest areas in Theni district. He was
also allegedly involved in ganja cultivation in interior forest areas.
Another forest officer said Vanaraj would go to interior forest areas after 7 p.m. Once an
animal was killed he would skin it and dispose of the skin safely. He would return home early
in the morning. His main targets were spotted deer, sambar, Nilgiri Tahr and Nilgiri Langur.
The deer species were killed for their meat and the Nilgiri Langur for medicinal properties. He
used to charge up to Rs.10,000 for a Nilgiri Langur and, over the last few years, had created a
network in Theni, Virudhunagar and surrounding areas.
60 poachers caught off Andamans (25 September 2010)
The Indian Coast Guard has apprehended as many as 60 Myanmarese poachers off the
Andamans islands in less than a week. The poachers were trying to extract molluscs and sea
cucumbers, which fetch high prices in international market because of their medicinal qualities
and are abundantly available off the Andamans.
Giving details here on Friday, a Coast Guard official said, on September 22 its ship Aruna Asaf
Ali detained two boats and caught 24 poachers. While undertaking a routine patrol in the
Northern Andaman Sea the ship’s Commandant, Vijay Singh, noticed suspicious movement of
two boats, away from each other by five miles, approaching from the direction of the Coco
Islands.
As the CGS Aruna Asaf Ali chased one boat, the other boat tried to slip away and was caught
after a high-speed chase and warning shots. Over the last weekend, between September 18
and September 20, the ship apprehended a total of 36 poachers from three boats. All the
boats carried sufficient fuel and provisions to sustain at sea for prolonged duration and were
equipped with diving equipment.
The Coco Islands in Myanmar, which is just about 26 nautical miles from the Indian territorial
waters, makes it easier for poachers to sneak into the Indian waters. Following heightened
surveillance and vigil by the Coast Guard ships, helicopters and Dornier surveillance aircraft
along the Andamans archipelago, the ICG has apprehended 88 Myanmarese poachers
alongwith seven boats this month.
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CITES UPDATE
3 ‘poachers’ arrested, antlers seized (Source: Indian Express, New Delhi, 4 October 2010)
Muzaffarnagar: Three persons were arrested on poaching allegations and about nine quintals
of antlers were seized from their possession in Saharanpur district, police said on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house at Behat town in the district on Saturday and
recovered about nine quintals of antlers of chital, barasingha, sambar and wild deer from it.
The three were arrested and a case was registered against them under various sections of
Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
Two arrested with leopard skins (Source: Deshbandhu, New Delhi, 4 October 2010)
Shivpuri: The police at Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh arrested two poachers with two skins of
leopard. The accused had planned to sell the skins in Rajasthan.
Elephant tusks worth Rs. 4 lakh seized near Dadar Station (Source: DNA, Mumbai, 13
October 2010)
The Matunga police on Monday night arrested a 40-year-old man for possession of two
elephant tusks concealed in a polythene bag outside Dadar railway station.
“The accused was identified as Ashok Maru, 40, a resident of Kurla. He was working as a
sweeper in a private building in Byculla. The police seized two elephant tusks, collectively
valued at Rs4 lakh, from him,” said senior police inspector Sunil Deshmukh of Matunga police
station.
Deshmukh added that Maru, who was booked under various sections of the wildlife protection
Act, was remanded in police custody till October 15 by the Kurla metropolitan magistrate’s
court on Tuesday.
The Matunga police had received information that a person carrying elephant tusks would
arrive outside the Dadar railway station (East) to meet a customer. Based on the information,
API Srikant Ramdasi and staff laid a trap in the vicinity around 11pm, and nabbed Maru redhanded
with the elephant tusks.
“We are conducting an inquiry into the matter, as to who he brought the tusks from and to
whom he wanted to deliver in Mumbai,” said Deshmukh.
During his interrogation, Maru was asked from where he managed to get the tusks. He
claimed that an Arab national used to live in the Byculla building where he works. It was in his
home that he claimed to have found the tusks.
The police have rubbished his claims, adding that Maru has no previous criminal record.
Man caught with leopard skin, horns of black deer (Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, 18
October 2010)
One person was arrested with a leopard skin and nine horns of black deer in Hamirpur, said
district Police chief Kuldip Sharma. He said that the skin and horns were worth several lakhs of
rupees.
Sharma said that at a barricade at Beas Bridge near Sujanpur tira, the police intercepted a
man with a huge bag. Police party on duty asked him to open the back. However, the man
tried to run away from the scene and was chased by the police. When the bag was opened,
horns of black deer and a skin of leopard were found inside the bag.
He said a case under Section 52 of Wild life Act and 379 of Indian Penal Code has been
registered against the man identified as Shyam Lal of Paniala village of Bilaspur district.
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CITES UPDATE
Sharma said that the police is still interrogating the accused as the police is suspecting the
involvement of a gang in the State involved in such business.
He said that the police was optimistic that it would break the nexus operating in various parts
of Hamirpur, Kangra, Una, Bilaspur and Mandi districts of the State and doing the business of
selling skins and other important parts of the wild life animals.
Show poachers no mercy, SC tells govt (Source: The Tribune, New Delhi, 21 October
2010)
New Delhi, October 20: Pointing out that the tiger, the mascot of the just-concluded
Commonwealth Games, and several other endangered species were on the brink of extinction
in India, the Supreme Court today asked the Centre and states to crack down on poachers
responsible for the $20 billion international trade in wildlife products.
Dismissing an appeal filed by notorious poacher Sansar Chand, the Bench observed that the
case revealed how “avaricious and rapacious persons have by organised crime destroyed large
parts of the wildlife of India and brought many animals like tigers, leopards and bison almost
to the brink of extinction, thereby seriously jeopardising and destroying the ecological chain
and ecological balance in our environment.”
“Shera was the symbol of the recent Commonwealth Games but, ironically, Shera has been
almost exterminated in our country. The Sher Khan of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, which
once abounded in India, is rarely to be seen today,” a Bench comprising Justices Markandey
Katju and TS Thakur began the judgment.
“We would like to request the Central and state governments and their agencies to make all
efforts to preserve the wildlife of the country and take stringent actions against those who are
violating the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, as this is necessary for maintaining the
ecological balance in our country,” the Judges said.
At one time, India had one of the richest and most varied fauna in the world. However, over
the last several decades there has been a rapid decline of India’s wild animals and birds
“which is a cause of grave concern.” “Some wild animals and birds such as cheetah had
already become extinct,” Justice Katju noted while writing the verdict.
Many sanctuaries and parks “are empty or almost empty of animals and birds. Thus, the
Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan and the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh today
have no tigers. One of the main causes for this depredation of the wildlife is organised
poaching which yields enormous profits by exports to China and other countries,” the apex
court noted. The Bench also pointed out that poaching also had grave consequences on
farming.
Poacher shot dead in Rajaji Park (Source: The Pioneer, New Delhi, 22 October 2010)
Rajaji National Park director SS Rasaily said on Thursday that a forest department employee
who was patrolling the area encountered a group of about a dozen persons armed with spears
and firearms atop a ridge in the Dhaulkhand area which is part of the core zone of the national
park. When challenged, one of them opened fire at the forest guard. The guard fired a round
in the air to scare the intruders away. But the bullet hit a resident of Bullawala village, Babu
Lal, who died, while others in the group escaped.
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 11

CITES UPDATE
The director claimed that the group had entered the core zone with the intention of poaching
and had taken Babu Lal along as a guide and for the task of skinning and cutting the animal
that they poached.
The forest guard had fired in self-defence on Wednesday, it was stated. The RNP director said
the man was part of a group of persons who had entered the core zone of RNP with the
intention of poaching, especially tigers which are known to inhabit the Dhaulkhand area.
The police has, however, registered a case of murder against the Rajaji National Park director
for the death of Babu Lal, because a large number of villagers had reached the site of the
incident when the RNP director and Doiwala SHO were on the spot. Some of the villagers
alleged that Babu Lal had gone to the forest to collect grass used for making brooms.
However, the RNP director denied these claims while countering the villagers’ claim that the
men had entered the forest area to collect grass. According to Rasaily, it is strange that the
group of persons carrying spears and a firearm travelled a distance of about 15 km from the
village through rough jungle terrain and crossed a ridge purportedly to cut and collect a type
of grass which is found commonly in various areas, including on the outskirts of the village.
The Dhaulkhand area, which is part of the core zone of the RNP, is known for tigers.
The RNP administration also plans to file an FIR against the persons who were part of the
group of poachers involved in the altercation which resulted in the death of Babu Lal.
NB: We would like to mention that we report seizures and news as they are reported in the media. While we do try to
ascertain the correctness of the reports that we carry, we do not take any responsibility for the correctness or
otherwise of the information as it is put out by the newspapers. We would nevertheless be glad to carry in our
subsequent issue/s any correction to a report carried by us that any of our esteemed reader may like to bring to our
notice – Editor)
Volume No. 6 (Issue 11) 12