WCCB is woefully understaffed. For a country rich in flora and fauna, this is unacceptable
Every month or so, news comes from Assam’s beautiful Kaziranga National Park that another rhinoceros has been killed or its horn is stolen. On the ground, park authorities in Kaziranga, and indeed in other national parks across the country which have been targeted by poachers for animal pelts and other organs as well as the bird trade, have had some impact. Forest rangers have been given some modern equipment and weapons to be able to cope with the flood of poachers. Of course, India’s porous land borders often mean that poachers can come, kill and be out of the country in a few hours.
However, the main weapon against poachers and saving animals is to target the large criminal syndicates which often have political patronage, and to bring them down. These syndicates often get their orders from Chinese Triads which supply animal products, such as rhino horns, tiger bones and shark fins to the Chinese market. As China’s economy has grown, so has the demand for such products. India has the right organisation for this, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), but as this paper noted on May 3, this organisation is woefully understaffed, being at only two-thirds of its sanctioned strength. It even lacks a public prosecutor. This means that the WCCB is unable to act on and process vital information that can help in controlling wildlife crimes in India.
The Indian subcontinent has unique flora and fauna and it is the duty of the Governments of the respective region, at every level, to protect our natural heritage for future generations. We have seen what rampant poaching and human activities have done to the population of tigers in this country. Acting effectively against the criminal gangs that plunder our resources can be a start. While several successful cases have been fought by the WCCB, its staff strength, even its sanctioned strength, is too small for a country as geographically large and diverse as India. It must be noted that several wildlife non-governmental organisations have played a major role in the detective work that goes into breaking wildlife smuggling networks. This is a matter of urgency and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change should ensure that the WCCB operates at its full strength soon, and better still, has an increase in staff strength to protect India’s wildlife.
Rhinos and tigers cannot go on candlelight marches to protest and they are as worthy of being saved as any other citizen of this country. In the long term, it would be beneficial for India to promote tourism. Did you know that it is not the Taj that is India’s leading tourist attraction in terms of ticket sales but the Ranthambore National ParkIJ Can you imagine the economic upsides to protecting our animals across the countryIJ