How did the CITES verification mission in India find discrepancies?

The mission found that while imports had the required CITES permits, several cases raised questions about the specimens' origin and the use of captive breeding exemptions. It noted animals were imported from facilities that would normally sell them commercially, raising concerns about "illegal harvest of wild animals" declared as captive-bred.

What actions has CITES recommended for India?

CITES has recommended that India halt the import of these endangered species until it reinforces due diligence and controls to prevent illegal wildlife trade. The CITES Secretariat has also asked India to verify all highlighted imports with source countries to ensure the animals were truly captive-bred.

Home / Environment / CITES Flags Concerns Over India's Wildlife Imports: Captive or Captured?

CITES Flags Concerns Over India's Wildlife Imports: Captive or Captured?

Q: What are the CITES concerns over India's wildlife imports?

CITES has flagged concerns over India's import of critically endangered species like gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and snow leopards, citing issues with the true origin and captive breeding status of many imported animals.

4 Nov

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Summary

CITES verification mission finds issues with India's import of endangered species
Imports of gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and snow leopards recommended to be stopped
Concerns raised over "illegal harvest of wild animals" declared as captive-bred

CITES Flags Concerns Over India's Wildlife Imports: Captive or Captured?

In a concerning development, a verification mission by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has raised red flags over India's import of critically endangered species. The report, released on November 4, 2025, recommends that India halt the import of animals like gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and snow leopards until the government strengthens its controls to safeguard against the illegal wildlife trade.

The CITES mission, which visited India in mid-September 2025, found that while no imports occurred without the required CITES permits, several cases still raised questions about the true origin of the specimens and the use of captive breeding exemptions. The report underlined that India's Wildlife Protection Act prohibits zoos from acquiring wild animals, with imports almost exclusively under the "captive bred" source code.