Conservationist says India not returning seized orangutans

In a revelation that is bound to worry wildlife activists and conservationists in India, at least four orangutans were seized by various forest departments in the country in recent months, according to well-known international wildlife conservationist Leif Cocks, whose organization works to rescue and rehabilitate the great apes in Indonesia. What’s worse, some of these orangutans have not been returned to their home as mandated by India’s own Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and international...

Caiman young in toothpaste boxes seized at Bombay airport

Customs officers at Bombay’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport seized five caiman babies from two passengers who arrived on a Vistara flight from Bangkok, Thailand, late on Friday. The reptiles were found hidden in toothpaste boxes in the passengers’ cabin baggage. The reptiles, about 5-7 inches in length each, appeared to be dehydrated and distressed, according to a report from the Press Trust of India news agency. They were examined and treated by veterinarians from the...

Despite some success, wildlife trafficking continues unabated, says U.N. report

While there has been some success in combating the illicit trade in some iconic wildlife species, and cross-border cooperation and recognition of wildlife crimes have improved, the magnitude of the problem remains large, with around 4,000 various plant and animal species being seized between 2015 and 2021, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime reported in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month. “The global scope and scale of wildlife crime remain substantial as the seizures indicate...