2 weeks ago

Top Delhi wildlife NGO accused of nexus with leopard poachers

Top Delhi wildlife NGO accused of nexus with leopard poachers
Leopard skins seized, top Delhi wildlife NGO accused of nexus with poachers · indianexpress.com

Some people, called poachers, hunt wild animals like leopards and sell their skins, which is against the law.

Police caught four poachers carrying ten leopard skins on a highway in India.

A famous animal charity named Wildlife SOS was praised for helping catch those poachers.

But now police think the charity's leader, Kartick Satyanarayan, may have secretly told poachers to hunt the leopards.

They believe the charity wanted to catch poachers itself so everyone would cheer for it and give it money.

Police found metal traps in the forest, and they are testing leopard bones found buried there against the skins.

The charity's leader has been asked to come and answer police questions.

So the people expected to save leopards are now suspected of helping hurt them.

This is like a detective story where the hero might turn out to be the villain.

Key facts

NGO under scrutiny
Wildlife SOS (Delhi)
Accused named by investigators
Kartick Satyanarayan, Wildlife SOS CEO and co-founder
Arrested suspects
Bhagwan Singh alias Salim (August 11) and Wasim (August 13)
Seized evidence
10 leopard skins, 3 leg-hold traps, buried leopard remains
First arrests
Four poachers on July 23 on the Gwalior-Agra highway
Notice to appear
August 17, before the Investigating Officer in Shivpuri
Evidence checks
Remains sent to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, for DNA matching
NGO founded
In 1995 by Kartick Satyanarayan and Geeta Seshamani

Quotes

Forest department source

Forest department official

“This network started poaching leopards in the Shivpuri area last year. If it was indeed an undercover operation to nab poachers, why did they continue until 10 leopards had been killed? They have to explain why they created such a demand for skins and distributed leg-hold traps to be deployed in a sensitive landscape where we also have cheetahs.”
indianexpress.com
“After both key accused, who were on the payroll of Wildlife SOS, named Kartick Satyanarayan, he has been asked to appear before the Investigating Officer. We are coordinating with the WCCB (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau)…we will do everything it takes to secure our forests.”
indianexpress.com

Sources

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