Bhubaneswar: Odisha Environmental Society (OES) observed wildlife week Sunday and organised a seminar on ‘Wildlife crimes – The way forward to combat’.
In the seminar experts said that wildlife inhabiting the natural ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic, are under tremendous anthropogenic pressure that threatens their very survival on Earth.
Joining the seminar as the chief speaker, Centurion University’s Zoology professor Siba Prasad Parida vividly discussed the significance of wildlife and the crimes committed against them. He narrated how wildlife is trafficked illegally across the globe much like the illegal trading of drugs and arms. Presenting the Odisha picture, he deliberated how tiger/leopard skins, elephant ivory, pangolin scales and live and turtle are frequently seized in the state.
Presiding over the programme, OES president Sundara Narayan Patro opined that for ensuring the protection of wildlife, drastic changes in the mindset and the actions of the people hold the key.
Delivering the welcome speech, Secretary Dr Jayakrushna Panigrahi expressed that wildlife trade and habitat destruction are making them increasingly threatened and putting a question mark on the survival of many species.
PNN
