To highlight the rampant illegal trade of lesser known species like pangolins and owls and generate support for their conservation, a campaign was launched on social media which its organisers said has reached out to more than a million people.
The organisers said that while the threat to species like tigers and rhinos is well publicised, illegal trade of lesser- known species go largely unreported.
"A digital media campaign on illegal trade in lesser-known non-charismatic wildlife species, including pangolins, owls and mongooses, reached out to nearly 1.4 million individuals on Facebook, Twitter and Google," a Traffic India statement said.
The campaign, 'Preserving the Future: Stop Illegal Wildlife Trade', launched in February this year, was jointly run by TRAFFIC, WWF-India and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
TRAFFIC -- the wildlife trade monitoring network -- is a joint programme of WWF and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
Stating that the illegal trade in non-charismatic species such as monitor lizards, Tokay Gecko, turtles and tortoises, lorises, birds, corals, sea cucumbers and others "has remained largely unreported", the campaigners sought to raise support for their conservation.
The campaign was designed using a combination of images, infographics, facts and figures related to poaching and illegal trade, the impact of trade on species conservation and recommendations on how people can help.
Pangolins are highly threatened by illegal international trade and other species like the monitor lizard, mongoose, star tortoises, spiny-tailed lizards, freshwater and marine turtles also need immediate attention.
