CITES Report: Stop Wildlife Imports to India Until Proper Checks Are in Place
Context :The CITES Secretariat (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) has raised concerns over India’s import of wild animals declared as “captive-bred” without sufficient verification.
Key Highlights:
- The CITES verification mission found that India imported several critically endangered species — such as gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and snow leopards — under the claim that they were captive-bred.
- The mission recommended that India temporarily halt all wildlife imports until proper verification systems and controls are in place.
Major Concerns:
- Several imports raised doubts about the origin of the specimens, the source codes used, and the purpose of transaction.
- In some cases, animals imported under the ‘Z’ code (zoo) or ‘C’ code (captive-bred) may have actually been caught from the wild.
- Instances were found where animals were imported from countries not known for breeding the species — e.g., chimpanzees from Egypt, Iraq, and Kuwait; gorillas from Mali; cheetahs from Syria.
- The report emphasized that merely claiming animals are in captivity is not sufficient proof of captive breeding.
Statistics:
- GZRC (Goa Zoo and Rescue Centre) had imported 41,839 animals, and RKTEWF (Radha Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust, Jamnagar) had 5,794 animals as of September 2024.
- The CITES Secretariat reviewed over 363 animals imported from African and Middle Eastern countries under questionable source codes.
CITES Recommendations:
- Suspend wildlife imports until traceability and verification systems are strengthened.
- India to provide a compliance report by November 2025.
- Encourage cooperation between CITES and Indian authorities to ensure ethical, legal wildlife trade.
About CITES:
- Adopted in 1973; came into force in 1975.
- Regulates international trade in wildlife species to ensure it does not threaten their survival.
- India is a party since 1976.