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Wildlife Crime: Challenges to

Wildlife Conservation with

Special Emphasis to

Kaziranga National Park

Dr Satyendra Singh, IFS

Director

Kaziranga National Park

INDIA: BASIC INFORMATION

• Location: 08004’ N to 37006’N, 68007’E to 97025’E

• Area: 3,166,414 Sq Km (2.4% of World’s area)

• Population: 1.21 billion (17.31% of World’s population)

• Population Density: 382 per Sq Km

• Literacy: 74.04%

PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF INDIA

• The Northern Mountains

• Indo-Gangatic Plains

• The Peninsular Plateau

• Thar Deserts

• The Coastal Plains

FOREST TYPES OF INDIA

• Tropical Wet Evergreen• Tropical Semi Evergreen• Tropical Moist Deciduous • Littoral & Swamp• Tropical Dry Deciduous• Tropical Thorn • Tropical Dry Evergreen• Southern Tropical Broad-

leaved Hill

• Sub Tropical Pine• Sub Tropical Dry Evergreen• Montane Wet Temperate

Forest• Himalayan Moist Temperate

Forest• Himalayan Dry Temperate

Forest• Sub Alpine Forest• Moist Alpine Forest• Dry Alpine Scrub

FOREST AND TREE COVER

• Forest And Tree Cover: 78.29 m ha (23.81% of Country’s Geographical area)

– Very Dense Forest – 83,471 Sq Km

– Moderately Dense Forest – 320,736 Sq Km

– Open Forest – 287,820 Sq Km

– Tree Cover (Outside Forest): 90,844 Sq km

• Total Growing Stock: 6047.15 m cum

• Total Carbon Stock In Country’s Forest: 6663 m tonnes

• Total Annual Consumption of Wood: 48 m cum

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ASSAM: BASIC INFORMATION

• One of 7 North Eastern States

• Location: Latitude 24007’N to 280 00’N

Longitude 89042’E to 96002’E

• Area: 78,438 Sq Km (2.39% of the Country)

• Population: 31.17 million

• Population Density: 397 per Sq Km

• Literacy : 73.18%

• Annual Average Rainfall: 211.76 cm

FOREST IN ASSAM

• Tropical Wet Evergreen

• Tropical Semi Evergreen

• Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest

• Sub-Tropical Broad Leaved Hills

• Sub-Tropical Pine

• Littoral & Swamp

• Bamboo & Cane Breaks

FOREST IN ASSAM

• Forest Cover: 27,673 Sq Km (35.28% of State

Geographical Area)

– Very Dense Forest: 1,444 Sq Km

– Moderately Dense Forest: 11,404 Sq Km

– Open Forests: 14,825 Sq Km

– Total Growing Stock: 214.830 m cum

BIODIVERSITY IN ASSAM (Number of species)

• Mammals: 164

• Primates: 10

• Avian: 810

• Amphibian: 61

• Butterflies: 1530

• Reptiles: 116

• Flowering Plants: 3017

• Wild Orchids: 193

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WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN ASSAM

• 5 National Parks and 19 Sanctuaries

• 4 Tiger Reserves and 5 Elephant Reserves

• 2 World Natural Heritage Sites

• Mega Herbivores: Elephants, Rhino, Wild Buffalo

• Other Herbivores: Hog Deer, Chital, Swamp Deer

• Major Carnivores: Tiger, Leopard

WILDLIFE POPULATION

• Elephant- 5620

• Rhinoceros- 2625

• Tiger- 177

• Leopard- 248

• Wild Buffalo- 1980

• Swamp Deer- 1148

• River Dolphin- 258

PRIMATES• Rhesus Macaque- 72,674

• Assamese Macaque- 30,866

• Pig Tailed Macaque- 649

• Stump tailed Macaque- 648

• Slow Loris- 431

• Capped Langur- 17,813

• Golden Langur- 2,772

• Phayre’s Leaf Monkey- 132

• Hoolock Gibbon- 1,517

WILDLIFE TRADE

• Food

• Medicines

• Fur, skins and wools

• Pet trade

• Ornaments

• Forest produce

WILDLIFE TRADE?EXTENT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN WILDLIFE AND ITS DERIVATIVES

• It is estimated that the annual value of non timber &non fish wildlife trade is about 15 Billion US$

(Broad 2001)• Illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth US$50 -

150 billion per year. (UNEP 2014)

• Illegal wildlife Trade is the World’s Fourth Largest Illegitimate Business after Drugs, Arms and Human trafficking

• However due to it’s nature, very limited information available about the scale of this Illegal trade.

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Narcotics

Counterfeiting

Human trafficking

Small Arms

Human Organ

Gold

Wildlife

Oil

Diamonds

Art

• India, a country with ~ 2% of the global land mass with ~14% of the human population and ~ 18% of the cattle population of the globe.

• Yet, we are home to ~60 % of the global population of the Tiger, ~70% of the Asian Elephant ~100% of the Asiatic Lions and 70% of One horned Rhino!

• India ranks 6th among the 12 Mega Biodiversity countries of the world.

• 430 Species of Mammals, 530 Species of Reptiles, 207 Species ofAmphibians, 1228 Species of Birds.

• India is seen as the single largest source for wildlife.

BIODIVERSITY OF INDIA

• About 2500 tigers.

• 26 Shikar (Hunting) companies

• Liberal issue of crop protection guns.

• Conversion of large patches of grasslands and forest land for Agriculture.

• Breakdown of strict hunting regulations in place in most Princely states.

• Ban on hunting in most states of India in 1971

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 1975.

ATTITUDE CHANGES ?POST INDEPENDENCE

Hunters Local people Fishermen Tribal

BuyersBuyers

Middlemen

Local Traders

Foreign Traders

Nexus of hunters,middle-man, trader,informer, Poachers,suppliers & buyers

Distributed in thecountry with wellorganized networkwithin as well as inneighbouring countries

Organized Wildlife crime

How large is wildlife crime ?Numbers in global trade Record global prices

Primates --- 25-30,000 Trained falcon –up to US $ 10,000

Live birds --- 2.5 millions Rare parrots - up to US $ 40,000

Reptile skins – 10 millions

Orchids – 10 millions

Rare butterfly – up to US $ 30,000

Rare orchids – up to US $ 2000

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Wildlife Crime Scenario

• Outside market driven poaching, very less domestic demand,

mainly smuggled out.

• South Asian countries are mainly transit for Indian wildlife and

wildlife articles to final destinations.

Main transits are Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Srilanka and

Myanmar.

Main destinations are China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore,

Vietnam etc

• Large number of species, i.e., Tiger and other big cats,

Rhinoceros, Star Tortoises, Pangolin, Shells -Corals & plants like

Red Sanders, Agarwood, Orchids are under threat from poaching

& global illegal wildlife trade networks.

Mammals

• Smuggling in live mammals relatively rare-but high demand foranimal parts.

Targeted throughout the country-mainly smuggled out to Nepal-China

Parts used: Skin,Claw/Nails,Skull,

Bones etc

Key Challenges for Tiger Crime control

• Poaching, Illegal trade and smuggling

Highly organized & networked

Very well Planned

Highly Technical

Extremely Silent

Inter-state and

Trans-boundary

• Human-wildlife conflicts leading to retaliatory

killing

• Outside market driven poaching, very less

domestic demand.

Myth about Tiger Body Parts

Bile- Medicine to cure Children's

convulsions

Blood- Medicine to strengthen willpower & health

Brain- Medicine to cure pimples &

laziness

Claws-Used to make good luck

charms, jewellery

Fur-Ornamentation, burnt to

get rid of centipedes

Gallstones-Medicine for weak eyes, abscesses on hands

Stomach- Medicine for upset stomachs

Teeth- Good luck charms, treating rabies and sores

Testes & Penis-Tuberculosis of the lymph nodes & for male strength.

Whiskers- Medicine for toothache

Bone -TCM/Wine/Plaster

Kandla

Kandla

Tiger Body Parts Trafficking Routes

Siliguri Dimapur

Dharchula

Sunauli

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Kandla

Kandla

Red Sanders International Trafficking Routes

Major illegal Trade centres

• Delhi

• Dharchula (Uttarakhand)

• Banbasa-Khatima (Uttarakhand)

• Pilibhit-Sampoorna Nagar (UP)

• Siliguri (West Bengal)

• Moreh (Manipur)

• Dimapur (Nagaland)

• Raxaul (Bihar)

• Jaigaon (West Bengal-Bhutan Border)

Poaching rampant in remote and higher reaches ofUttarakhand and Himachal - skins/parts brought mainlyto Delhi for smuggling out

Targeted in the Assam State-Horn in great demand inChina and Taiwan for medicinal purposes

Targeted for its tusk mainly in Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Karnataka

Poached for scales in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, West

Bengal, HP, Uttarakhand, UP, MP and Manipur- smuggled out

to China mainly through Manipur, Siliguri via Nepal

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Targeted for its hair known as “Shahtoosh”-smuggled in from Tibet through Nepal

Alleged to form a part of the barter trade (Tiger bones-Shahtoosh) between Tibet, India and Nepal.

Poached in the Himalayan tract and states of MP, Orissa,Jharkhand, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh etc.-Bile used formedicinal purposes

Poached in the higher Himalayan ridges of J&K,HP and UK -Musk.

Indian Tent Turtle

Spotted Black Terrapin

Indian Soft Shelled Turtle

Ganges Soft Shelled

Turtle (Fresh Water)

Traded on a large scale - great demand from the East Asian

Countries

Live Turtles mainly catered & traded in UP, Rajasthan, Bihar,Delhi, West Bengal, Orissa and Maharashtra.

Gangetic soft shell turtle and the Common soft shell turtlesmuggled out to Bangladesh.

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Indian Star Tortoise

Star Tortoise catered mainly from Karnataka, Tamil Naduand West Bengal - smuggled to South – East Asia mainlyby air from Chennai, Mumbai etc through carriers-Kept as pets also

SEA PRODUCTSSea Cucumber,Sea Horses & other marine products smuggled outfrom south to Sri lanka by air or sea- Thailand, Malaysia, Singaporeetc.

By land route(train/vehicle) Rameshwaram-Chennai-Siliguri-Nepal-China-

Sea cucumberSea horse

Whale shark

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Shells & Corals being traded in all the states ashandicraft articles which are generally brought fromcoastal areas

Butterfly Plaque as collectors item with

different species

Plants(Schedule-VI)

Kuth root (Saussurea lappa/Saussurea costus)

Pitcher plant Ladies slipper orchid Cycas beddomei

Law Enforcement Response

• Federal governance: Centre and State have

specific roles

• Day to day management of PAs and execution

of Acts – by State Governments

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 & Indian Forest

Act 1927-umbrella legal frame work for uniform

level of protection/ enforcement across the

country

Primary Agencies -State Forest Department

State Police Department

Secondary Agencies-Customs, CISF, BCAS,

RPF, DRI, Postal Deptt & BGFs i.e. BSF,

ITBP, SSB, Coast Guard, Assam Rifles etc

• WILDLIFE CRIME CONTROL BUREAU (WCCB)-A

multi-disciplinary body with personnel drawn

from Police, Forest and Customs for

coordination of enforcement actions of above

agencies under WLPA functional since June

2007

• India also a signatory to International

Conventions such as CITES and MoUs with

various countries across the world

• Hunting of all wildlife prohibited

• All trade in wildlife prohibited

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• Endangered plants protected, Collection from

wild prohibited, cultivation, possession etc

regulated

• Foreign Trade Policy governing trade in flora &

fauna

• Provisions of CITES incorporated into Foreign

Trade Policy and violations are dealt under

Customs Act, 1962

• Export-import in wildlife prohibited except

Special purposes (Research, Zoos etc) under

license

Strategy

• Coordination, information sharing & Capacity

building on wildlife crime enforcement with all

the stakeholders

• Exchange of good practices in the field of wildlife

protection and crime enforcement

• Bilateral and Multi – lateral MOUs with concerned

authorities and countries

• Exchange of dossiers of wildlife criminals & full

use of INTERPOL Notices

• Due importance to lesser known species in

illegal trade such as pangolin, medicinal plants,

marine species etc

• Regular meetings with field agencies of the

country and neighbouring countries

• Uniformity in crime enforcement /investigation

Technical Intelligence

• Use of data analytics • Use of electronic surveillance

• Digital stamping takes place in use of• Mobile• Email• ATM/internet banking/credit card• Railway/airlines booking• Money transfer

• Call Data Record(CDR) analysis• Monitoring of e-commerce• Monitoring of Social Media• Dissemination of intelligence to various

agencies working in field

Introduction of State-of-the-Art Analytical Tools for Intelligence Alerts

• Use of Big Data Analytical Tools – linkagesacross databases to see pattern of crimeand generating alerts and watch lists

• Natural Language Processing andvisualization tool for mining data withDepartments, NGOs, Police, Prisons,Volunteers

• OSINT – Information available in media,websites

Centralized Wildlife Crime Database

WCCB has developed an Online Wildlife Crime Database which is

populated daily by field agencies

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Online Wildlife Crime Database of WCCB

816 Division

Forest Officers

51 Tiger Reserves

Chief Wildlife Wardens

Regional Deputy Directors

WCCBDatabase at

WCCB

Online Wildlife Crime Database of WCCB

149 Tiger Poachers

51 Pangolin Poachers

82 Turtle and Tortoise Poachers

48 Rhino Poachers

Number of Criminal Profiles generated from database

Criminal Profiles

Use of technology to trace the origin of Tiger Skin found in illegal

trade

• Digital image of tiger skin seized arerequested and sent to Wildlife Institute ofIndia to match with the Stripes Databasemaintained by them

• Seizure of Tiger Skin outside India alsorequested

Camera trapped images of tiger is stored in the

database

Wildlife Institute of India

More than 2000 tiger stripes pattern collected from various Tiger Reserves of Country

Database Management

Use of Big Data Analytical tools on

– Illegal trade across international borders

– Illegal trade routes

– Means of smuggling – land, sea, air

– Criminal data – local to middlemen to smugglers to

purchasers

– Channel of payment – bank, cash, barter, Hawala,

money laundering

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Wildlife Forensic Interface

Vital Aid To

Detection

Prosecution

Forensic Firearm

Identification and

Ballistics

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Facilities in India

• Present facilities

CFSL Chandigarh,

FSL Gujarat

CFSL Kolkata

Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS)

CHANDIGARH .

GANDHINAGAR . KOLKATTA .

IBIS CONNECTIVITY

WHAT EVIDENCES CAN WE GET

• Biological evidences for DNA• Fingerprints , Footprints , Shoe prints• Tooth Brush-DNA • Body fluids – DNA• Shirts & Clothing• Soil for matching

•

SECONDARY EVIDENCE SAMPLES

• DNA profile can also be carried out even from the small amount of dead cells, being shed by normal physiological process of human beings.

• Articles like

Hair combs,

Tooth brush, Datoon

Tongue cleaner,

Undergarments or clothing etc

can be preserved and sent for DNA analysis.

WHAT EVIDENCES CAN WE GET

• Bidi /Cigarette Buts – DNA

• Hair

• Fibre

• Panparag

• Documentary Evidences

• Disposable cuplates

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Examples of Forensic Interface

1. Crime scene management2. Crime scene reconstruction3. Analysis of evidences & Reporting .4. Polygraph , Brain mapping & Narco analysis5. Blood stains, saliva, excreta, flesh, etc.

examination6. DNA finger printing of the mortal remains7. Deep search metal detectors to probe buried

tools in the ground

Co-ordination with other International Agencies

Capacity Building – Training ProgramNumber of

Trainings/Workshops 2014-16

Police and Forest 61

Sensitization and Awareness ProgramNumber of Sensitization Programs

conducted 2014-16

Local Community 111

Other Agency 187

Digital elevation model

K A Z I R A N G A

K A R B I A N G L O N G

N O R T H B A N K

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KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

A PROTECTED AREA IN HUMAN DOMINATED LANDSCAPE-”TODAY”

IT WAS NOT-”100 YEARS BACK”

1905

2005

1905 PRF TO CREATE AN ASYLUM FOR RHINOS-ONLY FEW INDIVIDUALS LEFT

1908 DECLARED AS RESERVED FORESTS

1916 GAME SANCTUARY

1937 OPENED FOR VISITORS

1950 WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

1974 NATIONAL PARK

1985 INSCRIBED AS WORLD HERITAGE

2005 CELEBRATES CENTENAY

FLORAVEGETATION COVER UNDER DIFFERENT TYPES

1 FORESTS 29.13%– MOIST MIXED DECIDUOUS

2. GRASS LANDS 51.91%

3. WATER BODIES 6.62%

4. SWAMPY/MARSHY AREA 5.21%

5. SAND 7.12%

(GOSWAMI AND BARUA, 1996)

•N (ii)OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE REPRESENTING SIGNIFICANT

ON-GOING ECOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN THE EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF WETLAND ECOSYSTEM AND COMMUNITIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS.

•N (iv)CONTAINS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT

NATURAL HABITATS FOR IN-SITU CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, INCLUDING THOSE CONTAINING THREATENED SPECIES OF OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF SCIENCE OR CONSERVATION.

(Rhinos, Tigers, W Buffalow, Swamp Deer, Elephants)

WORLD HERITAGE, 1985

NO FLOODPLAIN ECOSYSTEM IN ISOLATION CAN SUPPORT THIS

MEGA ASSEMBLAGE

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KAZIRANGA TIGER RESERVE

•Notified as Tiger Reserve during 2007

•Total area- 1,030 sq. km.

• Core area- 482 sq. km. (Kaziranga NP and its 1st, 2nd, 3rd

and 5th additions)

• Buffer area- 548 sq. km. (4th and 6th additions of KNP, Laokhowa sanctuary, Burachapori sanctuary, Panbari RF, Bagser RF, Kukurakata RF)

•Big Fives of Kaziranga

•Rhinocerous, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Buffalo and Swamp Deer

Wild Animal Population in Kaziranga

2401 in 2015

1089 in 2017

104 in 2017

1148 in 2016

Areas under KTR Annual FLOOD IN KAZIRANGA

Flood in 2017

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FLOOD 2017

TOTAL MORTALITY: 401*RHINO-31*TIGER-1

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TIGERS IN Kaziranga

Some of the tigers recently trapped by camera

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Tiger mortality (Last 6 years)

Year Number of Tiger Deaths

Natural In-fighting Poaching Poisoning Total

2012 2 2 0 0 4

2013 4 0 1 0 5

2014 1 1 0 1 3

2015 1 2 1 0 4

2016 0 0 0 1 (suspected) 1

2017 1 1 0 1 3

Total 9 6 2 3 20

Increasing rhino population

366

658

939 946

1129 1164

1552

1855

2048

2290 2329 2401

1966 1972 1978 1984 1991 1993 1999 2006 2009 2012 2013 2015

18

5

12

10

8

2

8

0

3 3

5

10

32

11

2425

37

28

4445

2324

44

35

23

48

40

14

2726

12

8

4 4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1965 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000

Rhono Poaching 1965-2001

Nagaon Wl=38 campsEawl=181 camps

8

4 3 4

75

16

6 6 53

11

27 27

17 18

2

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Rhino poaching

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2013 27

2014 27

2015 17

2016 18

2017 02

THE TOOLS THE TOOLS

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Poachers Arrested/NEUTRALIZED and Recoveries

Year No. of Poachers arrested

No. of Poachers neutralized

Arms and ammunitions seized

2014 47 22

0.303 Rifle-11, SBBL gun- 2 Hand made Gun- 4,Ammunition -83 Rds, Silencer- 5

2015 88 23

.303 Rifle- 16 , Hand made gun 2,

.85 mm pistol - 1, .22 rifle-3 , .315 rifle-3 , Ammunition 220 RdsSilencer- 8

2016 59 5

.303 Rifle- 7 , Ak-47 Rifle=-1

.22 rifle- 1, Ak 47 mag-2 no

.303 mag -2 no., Ammunition-120 Rds., Silencer- 2

2017 49 1

.303 rifle-2, AK-47, AK-56, Ammunitions, Tiger skin-1, Tiger bones

Foot patrol

Elephant patrol River patrol

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Patrolling in the fringe areas

Recent Interventions

• E- Surveillance Technology (E-eye)

– 8 nos. of towers mounted with thermal and optical cameras have been installed.

– 24X7 Real time video with zoom and 3600 rotation of camera from control room

– Aerial Surveillance using UAVs Tiger Reserve

• Use of Sniffer Dogs

• Rhino DNA Indexing System

• Deployment of Additional Force

– AFPF (423 nos.)

– Home Guards (135 nos.)

Recent Interventions

• Constitution of Fast Track Courts for Wildlife cases

• Anti Rhino Poaching Task Force

• Involvement of Neighbouring Communities

– Providing Livelihood support

– Development of Villages

– Training on Skill Development

– Intelligence Gathering

Eco Development Committees

• 38 Eco Development Committees(EDCs) since 2009

• APFBC (Externally Aided Project of French Agency) is funding for skill development and Livelihood

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Piggery SHGs in Bahikhuwa EDC

Mium, Sikun Atta and Subansiri

Piggery SHGs in

Bahikhuwa EDC

Nayanjyoti, Nirumai, mimang, majoni

Tamulipather EDC Weaving and Tailoring training

Borbheta EDC, tailoring andWeaving Training

Chebenakobuwa EDCTailoring Workshop

Computer training of 50 Students from EDCs at Erudite Academy, Bokakhat3 Month CCA Computer Course

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Park Reaching Close to People, An effort in linking communities to

Conservation.

Friendly Football Match between staff and fringe villagers in Burapahar Range

School Students on Educational trip inside National Park

Friendly Football Match between staff and fringe villagers in Burapahar Range

‘KICK THE POACHERS’ FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT IN BOKAKHAT

SAPJURI HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON EDUCATIONAL TRIP INSIDE PARK

4 Day Workshop On Painting, Crafts and Sculpturing in Chepenakubuwa

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Weaving Center at Rangalu

EDC

3 MonthSTRAINING on Tailoring and

Weaving

2 month -Tailoring and EMBROIDERY

training for Women of Bahikhuwa

EDC

CWRC- Animal Rescue Center• Only Animal Hospital of its Kind (15 Rhino Calf, 9 Elephant calf,

2 hoolock gibbon , 2 jungle cat, 4 leopard are being treated and hand reared)

• Project Leader is Director Kaziranga National Park

• Wildlife Trust of India is partner Organisation

Lessons LEARNT In COMBATING Wildlife CRIME

• Protection Inside the Park

– Anti Poaching Camps

– 24X7 Patrolling by Officials

– E-Surveillance (Thermal and Optical Camera)

– Aerial Surveillance (UAV)

• Protection Outside the Park

– Periphery Patrolling in Vulnerable Areas to stop intrusion

– Search and Raid Operation

– Intelligence is the Key

– Community Development Programme for local people

• Helps in developing Intelligence Network

• Other Measures

– Investigation of Crime

– Use of Forensic Science

– Ballistic Test of Recovered Arms and Ammunition

– Fast Track Courts for Speedy Trial and ConvictionsTHANKS