Odisha reported only one wildlife offence: NCRB report

The Wildlife Protection Act has only been used to prosecute one offence in the State this year, which has astonished wildlife advocates.

According to the newly released National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Odisha only registered one offence under the Wildlife Protection Act – 1972 last year, despite several instances of unnatural wildlife deaths and wildlife item smuggling.

According to the report, a total of 615 offences under the Wildlife Protection Act were reported nationwide in 2021, with the biggest number (203) occurring in Uttar Pradesh, followed by 106 in Rajasthan, 49 in Maharashtra, 46 in Bengal, and 40 in Assam.

Notably, 86 jumbo deaths were reported in Odisha in 2021. Additionally, in July 2021, a joint team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the forest departments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh busted an interstate smuggling ring and seized eight leopard skins from Kalahandi; meanwhile, a joint team of the Dhenkanal Forest Division and the WCCB Central Region had also seized 14.2 kg of pangolin scales from the Damodarnali area of the Kapilash range in D

Notably, Odisha had reported 86 jumbo deaths in 2021. Besides, in July 2021, a joint team of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Odisha and Chhattisgarh forest departments busted an inter-state smuggling racket and seized eight leopard skins from Kalahandi, while a joint team of Dhenkanal Forest Division and WCCB Central Region had also seized 14.2 kg pangolin scales from Damodarnali area of Kapilash range in Dhenkanal district and arrested two persons for their alleged involvement in it.

Throughout the year, the State had also received reports of a number of other wildlife offences, such as the smuggling of wildlife-related materials. Wildlife conservationists were shocked by the fact that only one offence against the Wildlife Protection Act was registered in the State the entire year.