March 3 is observed each year as World Wildlife Day to highlight the importance of conserving flora and fauna. The theme of World Wildlife Day for this year is ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.’
1. In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3 as the UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of protecting the world’s wild animals and plants. This was as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed in 1973 on this day.
2. CITES is an international agreement between governments that serves as a landmark agreement on conservation. Its primary objective is to ensure the sustainability of endangered species by regulating international trade in wild animals and plants. The goal is to prevent such trade from threatening the survival of these species.
3. A State or regional economic integration organization for which the Convention has entered into force is called a Party to CITES. Currently there are 185 Parties. The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP (The United Nations Environment Programme) and is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Conference of the Parties to CITES is the supreme consensus-based decision-making body of the Convention and comprises all its parties.
How does CITES work?
The species covered under CITES are listed in three Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.
📍Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted rarely, only in “exceptional circumstances”, such as gorillas, and lions from India.
📍Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled to ensure their survival. For example, certain kinds of foxes and Hippopotamuses.
📍Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade, like the Bengal fox or the Golden Jackal from India. Different procedures are given category-wise to engage in the trade of species in each of the lists.
Species in News
1. Indian star tortoises
• The Indian star tortoise is listed in the CITES Appendix I and Schedule I of India’s Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides absolute protection to animals listed under it. It also has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2016.
A file photo of the Indian Star Tortoise. (Photo credit: Anirban Chaudhuri)
• The punishment for trafficking of the species is jail term anywhere between three to seven years along with a fine of along with a fine not less than Rs. 25,000, according to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• The demand for star tortoises is so high because they are coveted as pets, both in India and overseas.
2. Pangolins
• Globally there are eight pangolin species, four each in Africa and Asia. India is home to two species – Indian pangolin Manis crassicaudata and Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla. Indian pangolins are found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
• In India, the species (Indian pangolin) is widely distributed and has been recorded in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
The Indian pangolin, scientifically called Manis crassicaudata, is one of eight such pangolin species available worldwide. (File)
• In India, both Indian pangolins and Chinese pangolins are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972. Since 2017, all pangolin species have been listed in Appendix I of the CITES. Chinese Pangolin is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List while the Indian Pangolin is classified as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List.
3. Lion (Panthera Leo)
• Native to Africa and Asia, the lion is the most social cat, and lives in groups called prides. They prefer open forests such as scrubland, and adult males have a prominent mane.
• Project Lion was announced in August 2020 to secure the future of Asiatic lions through comprehensive, long-term conservation efforts. August 10 is observed as World Lion Day annually to raise awareness of the rapidly diminishing lion population and the critical need for their conservation.
Lion (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)
• Lions are classified as ‘Vulnerable‘ on the IUCN Red List and are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The species is listed in Appendix II of CITES, while the Asiatic lion subspecies (Panthera leo persica) is listed in Appendix I.
4. One-horned Rhinoceros
• The Indian rhinoceros, also known as the one-horned rhinoceros, is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal. This species has long been a target for poachers due to their belief in the medicinal properties of its horn and the threat it poses as an agricultural pest.
One Horned Rhino (Source: WWF)
• Additionally, the rhino population faces challenges from recurring flooding, pushing them to seek refuge in higher areas beyond protected zones, leading to increased human-wildlife conflicts.
• The Indian rhino is listed as ‘Vulnerable‘ on the IUCN Red List and is included in CITES Appendix I. The black, Javan, and Sumatran rhino species are classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List
5. Tiger (Panthera Tigris)
• According to the fifth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2022 summary report, India is home to about 3,167 tigers, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers. Project Tiger, a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in 1973 in nine reserves for the conservation of Tiger.
• Currently, the IUCN status of the tiger is endangered, and it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan)
• India has been actively collaborating with neighbouring countries to enhance transboundary conservation efforts like India-Bangladesh to promote tiger conservation across the Sundarbans landscape.
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau
1. In India, apart from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory body under the Ministry that is especially meant to combat organised wildlife crime in the country.
2. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is headquartered in New Delhi and has five regional offices located in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bhopal. Additionally, there are three sub-regional offices in Guwahati, Amritsar, and Cochin, as well as five border units in Ramanathapuram, Gorakhpur, Motihari, Nathula, and Moreh.
3. According to Section 38 (Z) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Bureau is responsible for collecting and compiling intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and disseminating this information to state and other enforcement agencies for immediate action against offenders. It also assists and advises Customs authorities in the inspection of consignments of flora and fauna as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, CITES, and the EXIM Policy governing such items.
Post Read Question
With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which of the following statements is/are correct? (UPSC CSE 2015)
1. IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is an international agreement between governments.
2. IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural environments.
3. CITES is legally binding on the States that have joined it, but this Convention does not take the place of national laws.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
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The species covered under CITES are listed in three Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need. 
A file photo of the Indian Star Tortoise. (Photo credit: Anirban Chaudhuri)
The Indian pangolin, scientifically called Manis crassicaudata, is one of eight such pangolin species available worldwide. (File)
Lion (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)
One Horned Rhino (Source: WWF)
The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. (PTI Photo/Gurinder Osan)
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