Researchers warn that these animals are likely to be only a fraction of actual seizures.
New Delhi:
Over 60,000 live wild animals confiscated by enforcement agencies worldwide remain untraceable, a new report today said, raising concerns that they could be re-entering the wildlife trafficking industry even as India's reporting on such seizures is "non-existent".
The report, released by the University of Oxford Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and World Animal Protection, said that between 2010 and 2014, more than 64,000 live wild animals were officially reported as seized by wildlife enforcement agencies according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) trade database.
However, experts said that despite having the figures, the ultimate fate of seized live wild animals on whether they have "re-entered" the wildlife trafficking industry or have been rehabilitated remained "unknown" and hence "untraceable".
"The fate of over 64,000 live wild animals officially reported to have been confiscated by CITES enforcement agencies remains untraceable," a statement by World Animal Protection (WAP) said.
Researchers warn that these animals are likely to be only a fraction of actual seizures, as the study found only one in three (30 per cent) of countries that are parties to CITES provided any information.
"Two out of three countries did not report any live wildlife seizures, despite poaching of endangered species to supply the illicit global wildlife trade being estimated to be worth between $8-10 billion per year," the statement said.
The figures have prompted calls for better reporting of seizures and what happens to confiscated live wild animals.
"Illegal wildlife trade in Asia is a growing concern but reporting by India of live wild animals confiscated by enforcement agencies in the CITES trade database is virtually non-existent.
"We strongly urge the CITES trade database to include information on the fate of all live wild animal seizures, so we know what happens to these animals, and we can reduce the risk of them re-entering the illegal wildlife trade," WAP India Country Director Gajender K Sharma said.
The findings and recommendations of this research will be presented at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Johannesburg, South Africa on September 27 during an event focused on the confiscation of live wild animals organised by the Species Survival Network (SSN).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The report, released by the University of Oxford Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) and World Animal Protection, said that between 2010 and 2014, more than 64,000 live wild animals were officially reported as seized by wildlife enforcement agencies according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) trade database.
However, experts said that despite having the figures, the ultimate fate of seized live wild animals on whether they have "re-entered" the wildlife trafficking industry or have been rehabilitated remained "unknown" and hence "untraceable".
"The fate of over 64,000 live wild animals officially reported to have been confiscated by CITES enforcement agencies remains untraceable," a statement by World Animal Protection (WAP) said.
Researchers warn that these animals are likely to be only a fraction of actual seizures, as the study found only one in three (30 per cent) of countries that are parties to CITES provided any information.
"Two out of three countries did not report any live wildlife seizures, despite poaching of endangered species to supply the illicit global wildlife trade being estimated to be worth between $8-10 billion per year," the statement said.
The figures have prompted calls for better reporting of seizures and what happens to confiscated live wild animals.
"Illegal wildlife trade in Asia is a growing concern but reporting by India of live wild animals confiscated by enforcement agencies in the CITES trade database is virtually non-existent.
"We strongly urge the CITES trade database to include information on the fate of all live wild animal seizures, so we know what happens to these animals, and we can reduce the risk of them re-entering the illegal wildlife trade," WAP India Country Director Gajender K Sharma said.
The findings and recommendations of this research will be presented at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) in Johannesburg, South Africa on September 27 during an event focused on the confiscation of live wild animals organised by the Species Survival Network (SSN).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
