CALCUTTA HIGH COURT ON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE

CALCUTTA HIGH COURT ON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE

10TH DECEMBER 2020

The Hon'ble Calcutta High Court  directed the West Bengal forest department officials to ensure strict adherence to laws to prevent the act of  cruelty to animals and birds against the act illegal wildlife trade in the state.

The Division Bench of the high court had earlier taken suo motu cognizance of the illegal smuggling and trading of endangered species of birds in the state on the basis of a newspaper report.

The Advocate General of the state submitted that West Bengal  has become a major transit point for illicit wildlife trade, due to the state’s location and the prevailing socio-economic scenario of the region. 

The Court directed the officials to make sure that laws governing prevention of cruelty to animals and birds are abided by and before the next date of hearing a separate action-taken report with regard to the activities initiated on the basis of this order be placed on record by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the DGP, West Bengal Police.