TV
It was way back in 2018 when the Special Task Force (STF) was empowered to investigate wildlife cases in Odisha as the poachers were unabatedly preying on the wildlife animals in the state which has a vast and rich eco-system.
Odisha- A Safe Haven For Wildlife?
Recently, Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Khuntia informed in Assembly that the state is home to over 2,000 elephants and 27 tigers.
As per the latest census, there are 1,850 saltwater crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika region, 97 in Satkosia, 76 in Similipal, and 84 marsh crocodiles in the Ghodahad Dam. Mahanadi River is home to 14 gharials, a rare and endangered species of crocodiles. The Chilika Lake hosts ten lakh ninety-nine thousand migratory birds of 108 different species.
Chilika and the coastal belts have a Dolphin population of 743 in the state. Be it leopards, tigers, elephants or pangolins, the targets have always been the endangered animals in the state.
Of late, there has been a steep rise in the smuggling and trafficking of turtles as well as pangolins from the state. Recently, a team of STF conducted raid on Nandapur- Bodigoan road under Semiliguada police limits in Koraput and rescued a live pangolin. Three persons were also arrested in this connection on August 14, 2024.
Similar operations by STF and other agencies have led to rescue of live animals like turtles, pangolins, parakeets and others. Officials informed that Odisha is one of the strongholds of pangolin in the country.
Why Pangolin Trade Is Seeing A Rise?
Many say that the growing demand for pangolins and their products, particularly body scales, is mainly due to its use in traditional Chinese medicine. This perhaps is fuelling hunting and smuggling of the species.
STF Registers 100 Percent Conviction Rate In Wildlife Cases
On August 13, 2024, Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Sonepur convicted two accused to undergo Rigorous Imprisonment (R.I) for three years with fine of Rs 10,000. The STF had registered a case in 2020 after apprehending the two accused from Rajakothi while they were proceeding towards Birmaharajpur from Sonepur. During search, one live pangolin and Pangolin scales were recovered from their possession.
Senior STF officials said that it was the seventh case of STF where the accused persons were convicted under Wildlife Protection Act and also the first case where accused persons were convicted in Live Pangolin Case. Till date, trial has been completed in seven wildlife cases investigated by STF and all the cases ended in conviction. This is said to be a major achievement as the conviction rate of wildlife crime cases in India is less than five per cent.
So far, STF has registered 101 cases and have arrested 232 wild life criminals from different parts of the state.
