The
Wildlife Protection Society Of India
The Wildlife Protection Society Of India (WPSI) was founded in 1994 by
Belinda Wright, its Executive Director, who was an award-winning wildlife
photographer and filmmaker till she took up the cause of conservation. From
its inception, WPSI's main aim has been to bring a new focus to the daunting
task of tackling India's growing wildlife crisis. It does this by providing
support and information for authorities who are combating poaching and the
escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers. It has now
broadened its focus to deal with human-animal conflicts and provide support
for research projects.
With a team of committed environmentalists, WPSI is one of the most
respected and effective wildlife conservation organisations in India. It is
a registered non-profit organisation, funded by financial donations from a
wide range of Indian and international sources. The Society’s Board
Members include leading conservationists and businessmen.
The Works Done By The Wildlife Protection Society Of India
Checking the Illegal Trade
The WPSI collaborate with the State Governments to check the illegal
wildlife trade and then provide them with hands-on training and support to
encounter poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
Conducting Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshops
The organisation conduct Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshops for enforcement
agencies. Since August 2000, it has undertaken more than 25 workshops in 12
States across India. WPSI has also working given specialist presentations to
the National Police Academy, the Indian Institute of Criminology, the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police
(ITBP), Customs and Excise, the Wildlife Institute of India, tiger reserve
authorities, and enforcement training centres.
The Wildlife Crime Database
The Wildlife Crime Database in the WPSI has details of over 10,500 wildlife
cases and is regularly updated with inputs from our countrywide network of
investigators. This information plays a crucial role in the development of
new strategies to protect Indian wildlife.
Unveil the Works of the Shahtoosh Trade
WPSI was the first organisation to unveil the works of the shahtoosh trade
and its connections with the trade in tiger areas. The organisation exposed
this trade in the mid-1990s, while investigating the smuggling of tiger
bones, and produced a path-breaking report on the subject in 1997 - “Fashioned
for Extinction; An Expose of the Shahtoosh Trade”.
Assistance
in the Wildlife Criminal Acts
Over the years, WPSI has assisted in the arrests of over 230 wildlife
criminals and seizures of massive amounts of illegal wildlife products,
particularly tiger parts.
Their Legal Programme currently supports the prosecution of over 100
wildlife court cases in 13 Indian states. These include poaching and trade
cases that involve tiger and other endangered species. It also files
petition on important wildlife conservation issues, including encroachments
in protected areas.
The organisation continuously liaise with policy makers and international
conservation agencies, particularly on issues concerning poaching and the
illegal wildlife trade.
Conservation Projects
WPSI supports Conservation Projects for species as varied as the tiger,
otter and sea turtle in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttaranchal and West Bengal.
The Scope of Activities at WPSI
WPSI has now broadened the scope of its activities to deal with other
critical issues such as human-animal conflict involving tigers, leopards and
elephants. It also supports research projects on issues as diverse as tiger
census techniques, the ecological impact of forest resource extraction, and
the plight of the snow leopard.
As a result, WPSI are actively involved in all of India's major wildlife
conservation issues and have been in the forefront of media campaigns to
highlight the importance of wildlife protection.
The generous support of a number of Indian and international organizations,
foundations, and individuals has led to WPSI successful activities.
