Meat of rare birds, including egrets, moor hen and a variety of wild water birds, is being sold openly in the streets of Puducherry while the meat of the Indian bullfrog is up for sale in the markets of Dimapur.

Across India, the sale of the meat of wild animals, including jungle cats, jackal, porcupine and other endangered animals, has reached mammoth proportions and if the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) does not take steps to counter this trade, it will create a dangerous precedent where predator cats, including tiger, leopard and lion, population will have no prey base left to feed on.

This warning was issued by Belinda Wright, executive director of Wildlife Protection Society of India who has filed a notice under Section 55 of the Wildlife Protection Act to update the director of Wildlife, MoEF of this growing problem.

“It’s a highly organised business being undertaken by small poaching gangs where the meat is being delivered in homes and eateries by motorcyclists who work on a commission basis,” she said at the book release forum.

Maneka Gandhi, MP and chairperson of People for Animals, stressed that the Wildlife Crime Bureau had to clampdown on the proliferation of urban markets selling wildlife.

“No wildlife monitoring systems are in place and the department of forests under the MoEF does not encourage interaction with NGOs,” she said.

The above dignitaries were speaking at the book release of Protected Animals of India by Sanjay Sondhi published by The Energy and Resources Institute.