Three organised wildlife crime cases in J&K since 2021: Centre

New Delhi, Jul 27: Jammu and Kashmir has not reported any organised wildlife crime case to the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in the last three years, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Replying to Unstarred Question on “Data on Wildlife Crimes,” Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh, said the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 mandates the WCCB to collect and collate intelligence related to organised wildlife crime activities, disseminate it to States and enforcement agencies, and establish a centralised wildlife crime databank.
According to Annexure-I of the reply, Jammu and Kashmir reported two organised wildlife crime cases in 2021 and one case in 2022. However, the Union Territory reported no organised wildlife crime cases (NR – Not Reported) during 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The ministry also furnished another set of data in Annexure-II, which showed that Jammu and Kashmir recorded 10 wildlife crime cases in 2021, while no cases were reported from 2022 to 2025 under that category.
Responding to queries on the availability of a national wildlife crime database, integration of records maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and WCCB, public access to WCCB data, and the number of cases not reflected in NCRB’s Crime in India report, the ministry said the WCCB already collects and collates intelligence on organised wildlife crimes from States and Union Territories and maintains a centralized wildlife crime databank under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The parliamentary reply includes state-wise and year-wise data on wildlife crimes reported to the WCCB for the period 2021 to 2025. (KNO)