Delhi government nominates NGO under poaching investigation to wildlife board
Wildlife SOS has been named as an expert representative on the Delhi State Board for Wildlife despite an ongoing investigation.
The Delhi government has nominated the Delhi-based NGO Wildlife SOS as a non-official member of the Delhi State Board for Wildlife, according to reports by The Tribune and ThePrint. A gazette notification on October 23 confirmed the nomination of the organisation as an expert representative to the statutory advisory body.
The nomination comes as the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) investigates a leopard poaching case involving the recovery of 10 leopard skins on the Gwalior-Agra highway on July 23. The STSF reported that the poaching network operated using intelligence provided by people involved with Wildlife SOS, and two officials from the NGO were taken into custody.
Wildlife SOS CEO Kartick Satyanarayan rejected the allegations, stating the NGO's efforts include rescuing dancing bears. In a statement to ThePrint, the NGO said it provided assistance and crucial information that helped identify and arrest the alleged offenders, suggesting a miscommunication regarding the sequence of information-sharing.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who submitted complaints to the Delhi government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said inducting an organisation facing criminal allegations undermines public trust. He also alleged there was no formal background check or scrutiny of credentials before the nomination.
A senior Delhi Forest Department official told The Tribune that while the case against the NGO is ongoing and not proven, the department has decided to drop the NGO from the board. The 27-member board is chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and includes organisations such as WWF-India and Wildlife Trust of India.