NGO Chief Linked to Big Cat Poaching Ring

Investigators have uncovered a link between a major wildlife-contraband trader, Bhagwan Singh, and his accomplice Wasim, arrested earlier this week in Madhya Pradesh, and the CEO of a Delhi-based conservation NGO, Wildlife SOS. The arrested individuals reportedly told investigators that they were acting under the instructions of Wildlife SOS CEO Kartick Satyanarayan.

STTF has issued Satyanarayan a notice to appear for questioning on August 17, citing "substantial digital evidence" suggesting the operation was for personal gain. Investigators are probing if Satyanarayan organized poaching and staged seizures to enhance his and the NGO's anti-poaching reputation, and if he was involved in wildlife trafficking.

The case began when four poachers were arrested with 10 leopard skins, an event Wildlife SOS initially credited to its anti-poaching unit. However, a parallel probe by the MP STTF revealed evidence of multiple leopard burial sites and traps, leading to Singh and Wasim, both allegedly on Wildlife SOS's payroll for years.

Sources suggest the accused used a Wildlife SOS vehicle to scout forest areas and distribute traps. The investigation questions why poaching allegedly continued until 10 leopards were killed if it were an undercover operation, and why demand for skins was created. The possibility of tiger poaching within the same network is also being explored.

This alleged scheme resembles a known trafficking model where traffickers profit from high-value material while getting rivals arrested with low-value goods to gain donations. Scrutiny has also resurfaced regarding Singh's alleged presence at a 2023 seizure of tiger and leopard parts in Tamil Nadu, where Wildlife SOS also claimed credit.