As wildlife experts, we often get queries on engagement and acquisition of species that are considered “exotic” in India. For instance, an associate, an information technology (IT) professional, once inquired whether an African grey parrot he had “received as a gift” would require a licence to be kept as a pet. While explaining to this associate the new provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA), 1972, it was concerning to learn that there was no documentation on this bird species on PARIVESH, the online governance portal of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The was worrying because the African grey parrot is considered “endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List but has also replaced native species like the rose-ringed parakeet in India.
Humans have always been drawn to novelty. Be it a pair of limited-edition footwear or a piece of fine art, we have always had this inclination towards possessing the rare and uncommon, often willing to pay high prices. However, this has, in recent years, been among the most active drivers of the illegal wildlife market across the globe. Highly endemic species are being poached and traded worldwide. Even in a developing country like India, buyers are willing to spend lakhs of rupees on animals like marmosets, sugar gliders, iguanas, snapping turtles, African grey parrots and others—the list is endless. This has not only led to severe ecosystem crises in the source countries, but has also affected the local biodiversity in the destination nations.
A few decades ago, our fight against illegal wildlife trade was centered around animals like Asian elephants and Bengal tigers. These were the animals that had been traditionally hunted and their body parts were prized globally. WLPA came into force in 1972 because we realised that hunting of wildlife was causing severe ecological and environmental crises. Over the years, efforts in the form of Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992) have been able to bring about a steep decline in the hunting of these species. However, these efforts were just the first steps in understanding the dark world of poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Strategic interventions and studies uncovered an expansive list of species that were being killed to fuel the market. The slaughter of Tibetan antelopes to produce Shahtoosh shawls, the mass killing of bears to meet the demands of the traditional Chinese medicine markets and the killing of mongoose to provide for the paintbrush industry are a few new examples. The pangolin, with eight species worldwide, has risen to the top of the list, with the latest statistics suggesting that five pangolins are killed every minute.
In May 2023, news broke that the alligator gar, a fish native to North America, has found its way to the Dal Lake in Kashmir, raising several concerns. First, the carnivorous fish could wipe out native species in the lake. A similar issue had arisen with African catfish, leading to a ban on its breeding in 2000. Second came the question, how did an alligator gar end up in the Dal Lake? The answer lies in the exotic pet trade. It is likely that the fish was released into the lake when its owner could no longer manage its care, because it outgrew the aquarium, or incurred high maintenance costs. In similar cases, piranhas have made their way to the Godavari river and red-eared slider turtles to the canals of Kerala.
The illegal trade and demand for wildlife and their products today span all species, including geckos, spiders and butterflies. Consequently, the supply chain too has evolved over the years. Today, online platforms connect buyers and traders from across the globe. In March 2024, authorities in Assam discovered 52 exotic animals, endemic to Indonesia, being transported illegally. These included black, blue and red lorises, babirusas (deer-pigs) and hornbills. Other seizures across Indian airports and road checkposts in recent years have uncovered species like black-backed gorillas, lemurs, kangaroos, caimans, bats, Aldabra giant tortoises, bearded dragons, shingle-back skinks, rattlesnakes and gibbons. Modern pet traders are not the roadside parakeet sellers of the past. They are highly educated and connected individuals who can bring in “just about anything you want and can pay for” and operate through organised and dedicated channels. India has, in the post-covid years, grown into a destination for wild animals kept as exotic pets.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) was launched on March 3, 1973. India became a signatory in 1976, the year cites banned the trade in ivory and IUCN formed its Asian Elephant Specialist Group. Another decade later, India formally banned the trade in ivory. However, while laws are now stricter and tools for implementation are in place, the attitude towards poaching remains the same. Fast forward to 2023-24, when th Directorate of Revenue (DRI) units seized 57.5 kg of elephant tusks across the country. In the past five years, India has lost 528 elephants, 50 of which were killed by poachers. Similarly, 10 incidents of tiger poaching have been documented as of April 30, 2024. The fight against such wildlife crimes is certainly far from over.
Latest government regulations require owners of exotic pets to be registered in PARIVESH, under the Living Animal Species Rule, 2024. A failure to comply attaches a legal action, in accordance with CITES and wildlife protection laws. However, not many owners have come forward to declare their novelties. This is evident from the disparity between the number of registrations and the volume of exotic species seized from illegal trade across the country.
Over the past few years, there has been a huge spike in the numbers of exotic wildlife seizures in major international airports across the country. Chennai accounts for the majority of such instances. In 2022, some 12 instances were reported from Chennai Airport. Across India that year, more than 56 instances were cited in open media sources. While vigilance has increased, the numbers for Chennai in 2023-24 still remain at 18—these are just the instances when authorities have been able to identify and stop the transit. Reports also suggest that stricter enforcement at identified transits have made smugglers shift their landing points to cities like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru. Exotic pets are continuously being seized on international borders between Bangladesh and Nepal.
Since 2001, the Wildlife Trust of India has assisted enforcement agencies in more than 200 seizures across the country involving the sale of mongoose hair, hathajodi (monitor lizard genitals), pangolins, tokay geckos, sea fans, sea cucumbers and more species. This also includes more than 800 kg of ivory seizures, more than 60 kg of tiger bones, about 24 tiger skins and 193 leopard skins.
The wildlife fuelling the illegal trade market is captured from its native habitats and crammed into inhumane carriages for transport across the globe. Consequently, most of the animals die in the process and to make up for the loss, more than necessary numbers are harvested in the first place. Wildlife crime is a dangerous business run by international syndicates that are more than often attached to other cartels like drugs, human trafficking or arms trafficking. The need of the hour is to curb the demand, whether it is driven by misconceptions, religious beliefs or the desire for novelty. It is also crucial to implement better enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the supply is slashed at the roots.
Jose Louies is chief executive officer of Wildlife Trust of India or WTI. Madhumay Mallik is assistant manager, communication, at WTI
This was first published in the State of India’s Environment 2025