Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India, said: “Owls as birds of prey play a crucial role in the balance of our ecosystem and as friends of farmers who keep rodents at bay. They also have a strong cultural significance and often trigger strong emotions ranging from fascination, fear, hatred to contempt. The persistent trend of exploitation of these birds for illegal trade must be reversed through concerted action. Strong citizen support, generated by public awareness, can go a long way in preserving them. TRAFFIC, an organization that ensures wildlife trade does not pose a threat to conservation, has identified 16 owl species commonly traded in India`s illegal wildlife trade. To raise awareness of these owl species and help identify them, TRAFFIC and WWF-India have created an informative poster titled “At Risk from Illegal Wildlife Trade: Owls of India”, which can be downloaded free of charge. Owls in India are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, which makes it illegal to poach, capture or trade owls or their body parts. Raising awareness of the issue is a first step towards changing attitudes towards these protected species. “Poaching and the owl trade in India has become a lucrative illicit trade that rests on the wings of superstition,” said Dr Saket Badola, Head of TRAFFIC`s India Office. He said: “The lack of awareness of owls in the illegal wildlife trade and the limited ability of law enforcement agencies to identify them have made it difficult to detect or limit these illegal activities. We hope our new identification poster will help fill this enforcement gap.
Jathar cited illegal trade as the main reason for owl decline, along with deforestation, habitat encroachment and conversion of forests for development projects. Owls are one of nature`s most enigmatic creatures. These nocturnal hunters often find themselves in the illegal wildlife trade in India due to various superstitions and taboos. Despite their immense role in the ecosystem, these endangered birds are trapped in large numbers to be sacrificed and used in several rituals, often promoted by local mystical practitioners. To identify common threats and effectively identify owls, TRAFFIC and WWF-India recently launched an identification tool. TRAFFIC was founded in 1976 by WWF and IUCN as a wildlife trade monitoring network to collect, analyse and make recommendations for decision-making on wildlife trade. Identity cards have been issued to help law enforcement accurately identify 16 common owl species in the illicit trade. English and Hindi IDs are distributed free of charge to law enforcement agencies throughout India. “India is home to about 36 species of owls, all protected by the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. However, there is very little information on the status of censuses at the species level, making them vulnerable. With the identification tool, we wanted to highlight the need to protect these enigmatic creatures and help officials and other conservation organizations identify owl species,” says Merwyn Fernandes, coordinator of TRAFFIC`s India office. Not only is hunting, trading or any other use of owls a criminal offence under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972; All owl species found in India are registered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricts their international trade.
According to reports, at least 20 seizures related to poaching and owl trade have been reported in India since 2019. But many others go unreported, experts say. The new identification tools, written by Saket Badola, head of TRAFFIC`s India office, and Merwyn provide important information on the legal status, habitat and distribution of the species. They provide valuable advice for identifying owls at the species level and highlighting common threats. The species of owls covered by the permits are Asian Barn Owl, Barn Owl, Brown Owl, Brown Owl, Brown Fox Owl, Collared Owl, Collared Owl, Black Great Horned Owl, Rose Owl, Jungle Owl, Spotted Owl, Eastern Scops Owl, Great Horned Owl, Great Horned Owl, Spotted Belly Owl, Spotted Owl and Griffon Owl. M. Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO of WWF-India, said: “It is unfortunate that at the auspicious Diwali Festival, which is supposed to bring good luck and joy, owls continue to be reported as sacrificed. Anecdotal evidence suggests that owls are becoming rare throughout their range, mainly due to their illegal trade and loss of suitable habitat, particularly old-growth forests.
Urgent action is needed to protect the future of owls in India. In other words, restrictions on licenses and study permits are very strict, making it very difficult to legally keep a Raptor in a family environment. A “pet owl” is usually an owl that is kept illegally. First, requests from DW journalists posing as potential buyers at the capital`s bird market and looking for an owl reached an impasse as soon as traders appeared suspicious and suspicious.