Stop wildlife imports to India until proper checks in place: CITES report, Pg16.

Key Highlights:

• CITES has recommended India halt imports of critically endangered species like gorillas, orangutans, and snow leopards.
• The recommendation follows a CITES verification mission in India from September 15-20, 2025, which inspected facilities like GZRRC and RKTEWT.
• The report raises concerns about the origin of imported animals and the use of source and purpose codes, particularly regarding captive-bred status.
• CITES is urging India to review its import procedures and implement stronger due diligence to prevent the import of wild-sourced animals as captive-bred.

Detailed Insights:

• The CITES report highlights instances where animals were imported as captive-bred from countries not known for such programs, raising concerns about illegal wildlife trade.
• India's Wildlife Protection Act restricts zoos from acquiring animals except from recognized zoos, leading to almost exclusive use of source code C (captive-bred) and purpose code Z (zoo) for imports.
• The CITES Secretariat has requested India to verify imports with source and transit countries, including Congo, Germany, and the UAE, to confirm the captive-bred status of imported animals.
• The report acknowledges the high standards and advanced amenities at GZRRC and RKTEWT, but emphasizes the need to ensure their operations do not inadvertently drive illegal harvesting of wild animals.
• Discrepancies were noted between invoices from exporting countries and India's claims, particularly regarding imports from the Czech Republic, raising questions about the true nature of transactions.
• Several instances of animals being exported under different codes (e.g., trade) and then re-exported under purpose code Z (zoo) to India were flagged, indicating potential misuse of import regulations.

Key Concepts Involved:

• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species): A global treaty regulating international trade in endangered plants and animals.
• Source Code: A code used in CITES permits to indicate the origin of the specimen, such as wild-caught or captive-bred.
• Purpose Code: A code used in CITES permits to specify the intended use of the specimen, such as for zoos or trade.