How Illegal Trade Of Exotic Animals Is Risking A Zoonotic Disease Outbreak In Chennai

Tamil Nadu¡¯s Chennai is now swiftly turning into the major hub of trade for exotic animals in the country which is leading to zoonotic disease and posing a serious threat to the animals.

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Chennai Wildlife Warden E Prasanth told The New Indian Express that close to 1,300 exotic animals were declared by individuals in Chennai after the Union Environment Ministry introduced the voluntary declaration scheme in 2020.

The ministry had said the database of import and possession of exotic live animals would help control and manage zoonotic diseases.

Risk of zoonotic disease

However, experts believe that trade carries a risk of zoonotic disease.

¡°Exotic animal trade always carries the potential risk of zoonotic disease spill over and invasive species entering wildlife. For instance, the red-eared slider turtle, a popular pet turtle endemic to the Americas, has quickly become invasive,¡± said Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board member secretary Shekhar Kumar Niraj, who had served as regional deputy director (Western & Southern regions) for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

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¡°I have raised the issue of increasing exotic animal trade in the country with the Union environment ministry two years ago," he said

8,000 applications rejected

According to sources, over 8,000 applications had been filed by people from Tamil Nadu on Parivesh website seeking permission to import exotic animals. However, the State Forest department has approved none owing to the risks involved.

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Post coronavirus outbreak, there has been a lot of focus on zoonotic diseases. The trade of exotic species, which is done mostly through illegal imports, makes the threat more complex.

Chennai¡¯s trade volume increased

Chennai is one of the major hubs of this trade, the volume of which has increased exponentially over the years.

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This was seconded by the Smuggling in India Report 2019-2020 published by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which said: ¡°There is an unfortunate and increasing trend in smuggling of endangered and exotic fauna from different parts of the world in India. Since there is a complete ban on trade in Indian species, the interest of the smugglers has shifted to exotic species, which has led to disastrous global environmental consequences."

The report went on to say that major Indian cities like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kochi receive exotic animals from Thailand, Malaysia, and European countries, among others.

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