Banned animal skin worth crores of rupees destroyed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 8 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir Government destroyed banned animal skin worth crores of rupees here following High Court orders, wildlife officials said.

A truckload of banned fur was destroyed in the presence of senior court officials, representatives of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Forest Department and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), the officials added.

They said 77 lots, comprising 29 big sacks of animal skin were set on fire at Eidgah.

The stock was surrendered by the valley traders after the trade of banned animal skin was declared illegal. The remains of the destroyed skin was later dumped in Achan dumping ground. The traders will get compensation for the stock they surrendered as per court orders.

The officials said Jammu and Kashmir is the first state to enforce a blanket ban on the tradional trade of wild-animal's skin.

The remaining animal skin will be destroyed later, they said adding it will discourage poaching and hunting of the wild animals.

The destroyed stock included skins of leopard, snow leopard, fox, leopard cats, snow lynx, brown bear, stone martins, otters, wolves and fishing cats, protected under schedule 1 and II enlisted in the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972, JK Wildlife Protection Act of 1978 and appendix I and II of the Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species.

They said the surrendered stock comprises of over one lakh skins of wild animals, 20,000 garments, 7500 kgs of assorted skin pieces. It also include skins of some rare species like clouded leopard, marbled cat, black leopard, tiger, lynx, mongoose and hyena, found mostly in northeast and Southern parts India.

UNI