DECEMBER 18: Belinda Wright, director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), runs an NGO with a difference which works with the government to combat the escalating wildlife trade. Daughter of Anne Wright, a famous conservationist and one of the founders of WWF in India, she was a wildlife photographer till she set up WPSI in 1994. Excerpts from an interview with SONU JAIN:Isn't active participation with the government unusual for an NGO?We set up WPSI as a proactive organisation with low overheads to provide information and support to the government on wildlife trade. The government machinery is over-stressed and inefficient at times, and we have successfully assisted in 200 cases.What is your modus operandi?We have a large number of field staff who assist in actually catching poachers. Then we realised that it was not enough - they would be out on bail within 24 hours. So we set up a legal cell with 17 lawyers from all over the country to follow thesecases day by day.Isn't it frustrating to work in a system where the conviction rate is close to zero?I realised that one has to keep one's sense of humour and find a way within the system. In spite of being very critical of the government, we have very good relations with them and they do not treat us with reticence, the way they used to do a few years back.What was your most memorable catch?My first big case in the Kanha National Park. This was because I had known the tigers closely there. I did a shocking report on how the poachers were carrying on their activities.
