Bhopal, Dec 9: As part of 'Save Tiger Campaign' the Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), which is situated at Paryavaran Parisar, E-5, Arera Colony organised a guest lecture on Saturday on the subject of 'Combating Wildlife Crime' at the premises of RMNH. Chief guest Dr RB Lal, Inspector General of Forests (Wildlife), Union Ministry of Environment and Forests delivered lecture on this subject.
Dr Lal explained various types of crimes against wild life, the products of wild life, which are being marketed in the International Market, seized wildlife products during in 1982 to 2004. He also informed about the audience about various acts, various conventions, organisations, which are working to control the wildlife crime. According to Dr Lal, many of wild life getting extinct to illegal trade, poaching and habitat destruction. Wild life includes fauna and flora as well. The value of skin, blood, bone and meat is around Rs 6 lakh in the International Trade Market of a tiger.
The elephants are being hunted due to their valuable tusk. One Shahtoosh shawl is prepared by wool of six Tibetan Antelopes and this can be prepared only after the killing of those antelopes. This shawl is valued the amount of Rs 5 to 6 lakh in Switzerland and in India it is 50 to 60 thousand. Professional poachers are killing the rhinoceros due to its horn, which is used in the preparation of medicines.
He also explained that Government of India passed a 'Wild Life (Protection) Act in 1972 to control the legal poaching and trade of wild life. Government of India formed a National Wild Life Crime Bureau and National Wild Life Action Plan in 2006. He made an appeal to the audience please be aware with the harmful effects of wild life crime and information should be provided to the competent authority about wild life crime because the Government officials can not control all the wild life crime but it will be controlled by the general public, students, teachers Non Government Organisation (NGOs) through the environmental awareness education programmes.
During the programme a street play was also performed in the museum premises. This play was staged by the troupe of Gopal Dubey, Director of 'Bhumika Drama Group'. The main motto of the play was to create awareness among the general visitors, teachers, students etc for tiger conservation. Manoj Kumar Sharma, Taxidermist, Coordinator of Save Tiger Exhibition introduced the chief guest for the lecture 'Combating Wild Life Crime'. The teachers and students of MVM and Sharda Vidya Mandir, Bhopal and general visitors participated in the lecture. On the occasion, Dr Jasveer Singh Chauhan, Director of Van Vihar National Park, Chandra Shekhar Dubey, Director of Care and Wild Life (NGO), Dr Neerja Shrivastava, Dr Tiwari and large number of eminent personalities were also present. Maniklal Gupta, Educational Assistant of RMNH, Bhopal proposed the vote of thanks
