- Tigers, rhinos, and other populations of endangered animals in India are slowly, but steadily, recovering.
- This doesn’t mean that their quality of life is getting better, according to the head of the World Wide Fund of Nature’s (WWF) TRAFFIC network in India, Saket Badola.
- Here’s a list of animals endangered animals that are under threat from poaching primarily because of three factors — food, fashion and fun.
Earth Day 2021 is all about ‘Restoring our Earth’, and that includes the dwindling population of endangered animals in India. Some may take a sigh of relief in the fact that some populations are showing signs of increasing — like the
tigers and rhinos in India.
But, just because there are more of them, doesn’t mean that they’re doing okay. “We cannot link population increase with their overall well-being,” Saket Badola, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC in India, told Business Insider.
According to him, the increase is so marginal that it doesn’t necessarily indicate that everything is well with them. “Going by our observation in the field and the number of seizures we encounter, we can still say they’re in a pathetic state,” said Badola
And, this is due to three primary factors — food, fun, and fashion.
The three F’s driving illegal wildlife trade in India
TRAFFIC’s estimates show that poaching doubled during the lockdown, even though more people were supposed to be staying at home. Demand was, in part, driven by the fact that some people were either free or jobless, and therefore took up trading in wildlife as an additional source of income.
The other driver of demand was animal meat. It is the only source of animal protein in certain areas, according to Badola. Some animals are also used in the making of traditional medicines.
And, this has been a constant threat throughout the years — just like fashion.
Shatoosh shawls are made from the wool of a Tibetan antelope, fur coats or caps are made from the skins of tigers and pandas, and bags are made from the scales of pangolins and monitor lizards. These are just a few examples among a long list of how the fashion industry is part and parcel of illegal wildlife trade, according to Badola.
And, then you have fun. Exotic species, especially those in India, are targeted so that people can keep them as pets. No, this doesn’t mean people want to keep a tiger at home. But it does mean that species like parakeets, doves, turtles, and snakes are under threat.
"Wildlife trafficking is believed to be one of the major factors for pushing several species towards extinction. In monetary terms, it is the fourth biggest illegal activity across the globe," said Badola.
Here’s a quick look at the main species being targeted for illegal wildlife trade in India — and why: