Hunting and illegal wildlife trade is depleting the populations of several threatened species of mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates and plants globally. With the populations of several endangered species already affected by habitat loss and climate change, hunting and wildlife trade is pushing them to the brink of extinction. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of hunting, wild meat consumption and wildlife trade in facilitating the spillover of novel zoonotic diseases has been widely recognized. More than 50% of mammals in India are reported to be negatively affected by hunting and illegal wildlife trade.
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The impacts of hunting are most evident in previously neglected landscapes such as the Eastern Ghats landscape, which has a very low protected area percentage and is also experiencing rapid land cover change. The Centre for Wildlife Studies has initiated an interdisciplinary field research and conservation program led by Dr. Vikram Aditya, to assess how hunting pressure and illegal wildlife trade is impacting wildlife, particularly species which are widely targeted for hunting and trade in the region. The program will be implemented initially in the Eastern Ghats and will be gradually expanded to other forest landscapes across the Western Ghats and India. This program will give us exact information on species that are affected, the extent of threat, and hotspots of hunting and wildlife trade in the landscape. The program will also undertake workshops addressing misconceptions concerning wildlife products through grassroots community workshops around protected areas and forest fringes.
