Late last month, Indian officials seized nearly 3,400 red-eared slider turtles and other exotic animals from the luggage of several airline passengers.
What happened?
As the Deccan Herald reported, officials detained three suspects at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru after discovering 22 baby blue iguanas, two African spurred tortoises, and the turtles in their suitcases.
Balasubramanian Shanmugam, Vijayaraghavan Dhanapal, and Arunkumar Narayanaswamy, the three suspects involved in the case, were not licensed to travel with the animals, which were transported back to their native countries of Malaysia and Thailand.
"Over the past couple of months, instances of wildlife smuggling have alarmingly increased at the Bengaluru airport, while they have reduced at the Chennai airport. It is mostly baby animals that are being smuggled. Mild sedatives are being used on these exotic animals to ensure smooth travel," an official at the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau told the Herald.
Why is wildlife smuggling concerning?
Wildlife smuggling is an ongoing issue nationwide, and experts say it has worsened significantly recently.
The illegal wildlife trade is rampant in India; Mongabay reported that it's "a major source, but also a transit and a destination country for trafficked wildlife and wildlife products." India is among the top 20 countries for wildlife trafficking because of its biodiversity and demand for animal parts such as rhinoceros horns, along with India's appetite for exotic pets.
Between 2011 and 2020, over 70,000 native and exotic animals and their parts were trafficked through 18 Indian airports, according to a report from Traffic.org.
The Herald noted that red-eared slider turtles are some of the most widely smuggled animals, often being transported from Malaysia to India. Just the week before officials detained the three suspects, they discovered another 3,000 turtles being smuggled at the same airport.
Wildlife trafficking is detrimental to biodiversity, ecosystems, and human society, as it fuels the demand for endangered species, disrupts local economies, and poses risks to human health. Because wildlife smuggling is a pervasive problem in many countries, it's threatening biodiversity and native ecosystems worldwide.
In addition, smuggling can lead to the introduction of invasive species, and as they outcompete native plants and animals for resources, it can increase the risk of diseases and pests in ecosystems. Not to mention, many animals that are caught up in the wildlife trade are treated inhumanely and do not survive the journey to their destinations.
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Definitely 👍 The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported that millions of animals are poached or killed in connection with the trade every year.
What's being done to combat wildlife trafficking?
The Herald article explained that the Indian Wildlife Protection Act lists the red-eared slider turtle as a Schedule IV animal, making it illegal to keep, trade, or transport them without official documentation.
In addition, Mongabay stated that several international partners and organizations, including the Wildlife Trust of India and United for Wildlife, are utilizing tools such as molecular biology, AI cameras, and drones to catch criminals in the act and identify the source of trafficked products.
Indian officials have been ramping up efforts to catch wildlife traffickers, and recently detained a man for attempting to smuggle a baby crocodile skull, and caught another smuggling nearly 400 exotic animals through Kempegowda International Airport — a popular hub for the wildlife trade.
If you spot anyone attempting to smuggle animals at airports or other places, make sure to report the incident by calling an anti-trafficking tip line and consider donating money to organizations that are working to prevent wildlife crimes.
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