A Maharashtra-wide campaign against keeping protected wild animals and birds as pets has been launched during Wildlife Week, with awareness boards planned at more than 500 veterinary clinics across the state. The initiative aims to curb the illegal trade, purchase and private ownership of native wildlife, including turtles and other protected species.
The campaign has been organised by Rewild Sanctuary and Charitable Trust. It was recently inaugurated by Maharashtra Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Srinivas Reddy, according to Loksatta. The organisers said the initiative would focus on informing citizens that wild species found in India cannot be treated as household pets.
Information boards featuring wildlife species that are reportedly among the most frequently trafficked for private ownership will be installed at more than 500 veterinary clinics across Maharashtra. The campaign is intended to reach pet owners and people seeking veterinary services, where cases involving illegally kept wild animals may come to attention.
The initiative comes amid concerns over the illegal purchase and sale of protected wildlife. According to the campaign organisers, demand for keeping wild animals as pets is contributing to illegal hunting, trafficking and improper care. The campaign also highlights the consequences when owners abandon animals that they can no longer keep or manage.
Dr Rina Dev, president of the organisation behind the awareness effort, said that greater public awareness was the most important tool for preventing wildlife trafficking. The campaign is therefore centred on identifying species that are commonly traded and explaining the risks associated with keeping them in homes.
The campaign also places veterinary clinics within the broader enforcement and awareness network. While clinics are not described as enforcement agencies in the report, displaying information at these locations could help connect members of the public with guidance on protected species and the legal consequences of keeping them. The organisers said action would be taken under the law against the illegal possession of protected wildlife.
The scale of the planned installation programme gives the campaign a statewide footprint, but the report does not specify the number of animals rescued, cases registered or clinics that have already received the boards. It also does not identify a separate enforcement timetable. The immediate next step is the installation of the awareness boards at veterinary clinics across Maharashtra during the campaign.