Thousands of classic souvenirs, such as keychains and snow globes, are scanned through security every day at international airports. Occasionally, customs gets a glimpse of something far stranger and more illegal than an "I heart New York" T-shirt.
What's happening?
A passenger named Mohammad Abrar was arrested at the Amritsar airport in India on Jan. 19 for attempting to smuggle in two trolley bags worth of taxidermy trophies. One bag contained a taxidermied walrus head; the second, a taxidermied peacock complete with the tail, as reported by the Times of India. Images of the peacock circulated on social media.
Abrar reportedly attempted to use the green channel to exit the airport, which indicated he had nothing to claim. However, the officials became suspicious of the luggage solely because of its awkward shape.
Abrar allegedly claimed that the trophies were artificial, inexpensive, and intended for personal display. Officials of the Wildlife Control Bureau said they confirmed, after an examination, that they were real animals, and they found other similar artifacts in his luggage.
Why is trophy hunting important?
While many hunters are convinced their funds contribute to animal conservation or benefit the local communities where they hunt, the truth is that 94% of wildlife conservation funding is unrelated to trophy hunting. In fact, trophy hunters are the ones benefiting from wildlife conservation, as trophy hunting accounts for only 0.13% of funding, according to the Humane World for Animals.
Another falsehood about trophy hunting is that when predators are killed by humans, it saves cattle on farms and other prey species. However, fewer than 1% of cattle and sheep are killed by predators, so there is no need for hunting.
Every animal species matters in an ecosystem. A small bird that might be hunted for its extraordinary colors might be one of the best animals for spreading the seeds of native plants. Large predators help keep prey species from overpopulating. When a single species is overhunted — regardless of whether it's a pangolin or a king snake — it can throw an entire ecosystem out of whack.
What's being done about trophy hunting?
Abrar was arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and his cell phone was seized for examination. Local police are confident it will help them trace it back to a potential international wildlife-smuggling network and their buyers.
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