"Five Rescued Orangutans in Odisha Expose International Wildlife Smuggling Network"
CITES Appendix I
the highest CITES protection tier, banning all commercial international trade in listed species.
IUCN Red List
a global inventory classifying species by extinction risk, from Least Concern to Extinct.
Orangutans are Asia's only great apes and the world's largest arboreal (tree-dwelling) mammals. They live exclusively in the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia. Unlike gorillas or chimpanzees, orangutans are largely solitary. They spend almost their entire lives in the forest canopy, moving hand over hand using exceptional arm strength. One of their most remarkable traits is tool use: orangutans use sticks to scrape insects from holes in tree bark, a behaviour that places them among the most cognitively advanced non-human primates alongside chimpanzees and gorillas. This intelligence, combined with their striking appearance, makes them highly sought after in the illegal exotic-pet trade.
All three recognised species, the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), and the Tapanui orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This is the highest risk category before extinction in the wild. Habitat destruction through deforestation, palm oil expansion, and illegal logging has dramatically reduced their populations. Poaching for the pet trade compounds this: infant orangutans are captured by killing their mothers, so every trafficked juvenile typically represents at least one adult death.
India is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Orangutans are listed under CITES Appendix I, which bans all commercial international trade in the species. Domestically, India's Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (WPA) prohibits the possession, trade, and transport of such species. The 2022 amendment to the WPA strengthened penalties and formally aligned domestic law with CITES obligations. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is the central enforcement agency for wildlife crime in India. Wildlife sanctuaries in rainforest regions, such as those in the Western Ghats and Northeast India, play a critical role in in-situ conservation by protecting habitat corridors and preventing poaching pressure from spilling across borders.
Wildlife trafficking is the fourth-largest transnational criminal enterprise globally, after drugs, arms, and human trafficking. It operates through sophisticated logistics networks that span multiple countries and jurisdictions. Traffickers exploit weak border surveillance, corruption, and gaps in inter-agency coordination. Exotic species like orangutans command high prices in illegal pet markets across the Middle East, East Asia, and parts of South Asia.
The CITES framework classifies species into three appendices based on their conservation status and trade risk. Appendix I species face the greatest threat from trade and are subject to a near-total commercial trade ban. Appendix II species are not immediately threatened but require regulated trade to prevent future endangerment. Appendix III covers species protected in at least one country that has requested CITES assistance. …
Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?
Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?
Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood?
Consider the following statements regarding orangutans:
1.They are native to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra in Southeast Asia.
2.All three recognised species are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
3.They are listed under CITES Appendix II, which permits regulated commercial trade.
4.Orangutans use sticks as tools to extract insects from tree bark.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following CITES Appendices with their correct descriptions:
List I (Appendix) — List II (Description)
A.Appendix I — 1. Species protected in at least one country that has requested CITES assistance
B.Appendix II — 2. Near-total ban on commercial international trade; species face greatest threat
C.Appendix III — 3. Regulated trade permitted with export permits; species not immediately threatened
Which of the following is the correct matching?
With reference to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) of India, consider the following statements:
1.It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
2.It coordinates with international agencies such as Interpol and the CITES Secretariat.
3.It was established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 and its 2022 amendment:
1.The 2022 amendment formally aligned India's domestic wildlife law with CITES appendix classifications.
2.The WPA, 1972 prohibits the possession and trade of species listed under its Schedule I.
3.The 2022 amendment reduced penalties for first-time offenders to encourage voluntary disclosure.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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