By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 3 Sep: Wildlife trafficking, usually reported from forests and border areas of Uttarakhand, is now surfacing in urban pockets of Dehradun, with repeated cases of illegal sale and purchase of protected species. The disturbing trend has heightened concern within the Forest Department, which admits that the city has become a new hotspot for such activities.
The latest case concerns an attempt to sell an Indian Spotted Eagle, a rare and protected bird in Dehradun. Acting on a tip-off, the forest officials from Dehradun found that the accused was trying to sell the bird through online platforms. A team of the forest officials swiftly moved in and arrested one person, while investigations are underway to trace the source of the bird and possible links to a larger trafficking network. DFO Vaibhav Kumar today claimed that efforts are being made to establish how the wildlife reached the accused and whether organised groups are involved.
It may be recalled that recently in a case, hundreds of parrots were being sold illegally in Dehradun. The forest officials had arrested three persons and sent them to jail after finding that the birds were being marketed as pets. The scale of the operation shocked investigators, as such a large number of protected parrots were being brought into the city for sale.
However,, the wildlife trafficking in Dehradun is not limited to birds only which is common across the country. Several cases of rare turtles being smuggled have also been reported in recent years. These repeated incidents raise serious questions about how protected species are being moved out of their natural habitats and into urban markets, and how extensive the buyer networks are. The officials admit that the trafficking is no longer confined to forests or border zones, but is increasingly facilitated through social media and online platforms, forcing the department to widen its surveillance.
The Forest Department also concedes that the rising number of cases in Dehradun is both serious and worrying. The officials claim that special campaigns are being launched and the informant networks are being strengthened. Besides this, online monitoring is being intensified to track those attempting to trade in protected wildlife. Officials stress that the challenge is not only to intercept traffickers but also to dismantle the networks that enable wildlife to be commodified and sold in urban centres.
