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SAWEN, South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network

News & updates

Current work, shared clearly.

Official SAWEN updates and clearly attributed wildlife crime reporting from external publishers.

Wildlife Crime News

Five arrested, deer and leopard pelts recovered

India: The RMC Yard police have arrested five persons and recovered deer and leopard pelts that they were trying to sell in the city. On a tip off, a team of police raided a place on Friday and arrested Ajaz (28) and Edwin (26) from Linarajapuram, John (30) from R.S. Palya, Mohammed Zubair (30) from Neelasandra, and…

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Wildlife Crime News

India Post catches up with wildlife smugglers

India: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) recently found that smugglers are using the postal service to sell parts of endangered animals. They stumbled upon feathers of the grey jungle fowl being smuggled out by the hundreds. These feathers with eyespots are used as fishing lures and were being sent to certain…

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Wildlife Crime News

Man arrested for smuggling endangered species

India: In a joint operation, border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and forest officials have arrested a smuggler from West Bengal's Alipurduar district and rescued nine Tokay Gecko. Tokay Gecko is an endangered nocturnal arboreal reptile species which is caught by poachers in north eastern states and…

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Wildlife Crime News

Three notorious poachers arrested

India: The Darrang Police in yet another successful operation against the organized gang of armed poachers, arrested three notorious poachers and recovered ten rounds of live ammunition from their possession. Arrested poachers namely Idu Ali and Shovan Ali of Shyampur No. 2 and Abdul Hussain of Kheroni Chapori, were…

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Wildlife Crime News

Two red sand boa snakes seized

India: Two rare red sand boa snakes, listed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, were seized in last 24 hours in the city. The non-poisonous snake has a very blunt tail with rounded tip. A rounded head similar to the shape of it's tail gives rise of the mis-belief that the species has two heads.…

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Wildlife Crime News

97 Smuggled Star Tortoises To Be Brought Back To India

India: Ninety-seven endangered Indian Star tortoises, illegally smuggled out of the country, will be brought back to their natural habitat in north Karnataka, according to an organisation working for animal conservation. The tortoises were smuggled into Singapore where they were rescued and are now undergoing…

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Wildlife Crime News

'Operation' to curb illegal trade in creatures of a lesser known

India: With the help of INTERPOL and other international agencies, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau launched ‘Operation Lesknow’ on Tuesday to check illegal wildlife trade of lesser-known species in the country. The operation will exclude big cats, birds, elephants, marine species, rhino and turtles. The operation…

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Image accompanying Kalikot man held with leopard skin, bone from Gongabu guesthouse
Wildlife Crime News

Kalikot man held with leopard skin, bone from Gongabu guesthouse

Nepal: Police on Tuesday reportedly arrested a man in possession of leopard skin and bones from the Gongabu-based guesthouse in KMC-26. The arrested has been identified as Bhakta Bahadur Rokaya (24) of Palata Rural Municipality-8 in Kalikot district. Acting on a tip-off, a police team deployed from Metropolitan Crime…

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Wildlife Crime News

Two persons of gang involved in selling of reptiles' skin arrested

India: Jalpaiguri Forest Ranger along with his special team arrested two members of a gang involved in the selling of reptiles on Sunday. The team seized four reptiles (gharial) from Panjipara area. Speaking to ANI here, Belacoba Forest range, Ranger Sanjay Dutta said, "They were operating through Whats App group,…

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