India needs to take lessons from the killing of rhinos in South Africa in order to take pre-emptive lessons in protecting its tigers.
Three rhinos are being killed every day in South Africa for their horns, which outrival the price of gold in the black market. Rhino poaching is being carried out by sophisticated criminal syndicates who are smuggling these horns to Asia.
This was one of the key pointers raised at the first stock-taking meet of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP) in New Delhi, which highlighted that the tiger population worldwide is down to 3,200 tigers with China and Vietnam being in the forefront in spurring the demand for tiger parts.
Keshav Verma of Global Tiger Initiative said, “Wildlife is the most profitable trade in the world and poachers are better equipped, more lethal and not bound by either laws or borders.”
India has witnessed a sharp escalation in tiger and rhino deaths during the last five months.
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Home secy reviews cross-LoC trade
AGE CORRESPONDENT
SRINAGAR, MAY 17
Union home secretary R.K. Singh said on Thursday that the government has sent a proposal of trade across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir through banking channels, replacing the existing barter system to Pakistan and a response was awaited.
Mr Singh, who is currently on a visit of the state, told reporters that if Islamabad agreed with the proposal, India will also add some more trading items in the list of cross-LoC trade as is being demanded.
The home secretary said that the cross border trade issue would also be raised with his Pakistani counterpart during his scheduled visit to the neighbouring country on May 24 and 25. “The proposal on cross border trade has already been sent to Pakistan,” he said.