Some of the largest financial institutions, transport companies, law enforcement agencies and conservation groups in India gathered last week to join forces in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade with the launch of the India Chapter of United for Wildlife (UfW).
Founded by Prince William and the Royal Foundation in 2013 in response to the devastating impact of the illegal wildlife trade, UfW aims to make it impossible for traffickers to transport, finance or profit from wildlife trafficking. Its uniquely collaborative approach builds networks across the private, public and conservation sectors to stop the trafficking of wildlife products.
The India Chapter launch event, held at Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan – world-famous for its tigers, was attended by conservation leaders including Arvind Chauraisa, Deputy Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in New Delhi, and Jose Louies, CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India, whose conservation work inspired a main character on the Amazon Prime series ‘Poacher’, which showcases India’s fight against elephant poaching.
Robert Campbell, Head of United for Wildlife, said: “Celebrated as one of the world’s megadiverse countries, India also finds itself a significant target for wildlife trafficking. Despite these challenges, India has shown great leadership in its response to the illegal wildlife trade, both in raising global awareness and the strength of its law enforcement.
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“This expertise, combined with the collective innovation of United for Wildlife’s global network of private sector companies investigating transport networks and financial transactions, makes a compelling partnership in the fight to bring down the criminal networks fuelling this heinous crime.”
Standard Chartered, Qatar Airways and Deloitte are among the global organisations that make up United for Wildlife’s global network and attended the event, pledging to take leadership roles within their industries to combat the illegal wildlife trade in India. The UfW India Chapter will foster collaboration across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in the country to identify, report and prevent wildlife trafficking.
Jose Louies, CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India, said: "Safeguarding wildlife from the illegal wildlife trade is one of the major conservation challenges faced globally. As the organised IWT syndicates deplete natural resources for profits, the need of the hour is a response by the global coalition of government agencies, organisations and experts to counter this challenge.
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“India is a mega biodiverse country, committed to protecting and conserving its wildlife and as seen by its conservation success. Wildlife Trust of India extends its support to the efforts of United for Wildlife’s conservation initiatives in strengthening the protection of wildlife across the globe.”
The India Chapter is the eighth United for Wildlife regional chapter to launch, following East Africa, Southern Africa, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Australasia, Middle East and North Africa, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
*Info: United for Wildlife
