Two TN men poach bats, cook meat, sells it as ‘chilli chicken’ – Times of India

Report on Wildlife Poaching Incident in Danishpet Forest Reserve and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Incident Summary

• Two individuals were arrested for poaching fruit bats within the Danishpet forest reserve in Salem.
• The poached meat was processed and fraudulently sold to the public as ‘chilli chicken’.
• The arrested parties were identified as M Kamal, aged 36, and V Selvam, aged 35, both residents of Danishpet.

Investigation and Law Enforcement Action

1. On July 25, the Danishpet forest office received intelligence regarding gunfire in the Thoppur Ramasamy hill area.
2. A team led by Forest Range Officer Vimal Kumar was dispatched to investigate the reports.
3. The two suspects were detained during the search operation and subsequently confessed to hunting fruit bats for commercial sale under false pretenses.
4. The individuals were formally arrested on Sunday and remanded into judicial custody on Monday.

Analysis of Impacts on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 15: Life on Land

• The poaching of fruit bats directly contravenes Target 15.7, which calls for urgent action to end the poaching and trafficking of protected species.
• This act contributes to the degradation of the local ecosystem and represents a direct threat to biodiversity, undermining Target 15.5, which aims to halt biodiversity loss.
• The illegal activity within a reserve forest highlights a failure in the sustainable management of terrestrial ecosystems.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The sale of unregulated and potentially unsafe bat meat, deceptively marketed as chicken, poses a significant public health risk due to the potential for zoonotic disease transmission.
• This action undermines Target 3.d by creating a potential vector for disease outbreaks and challenging the management of national health risks.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

• The incident exemplifies unsustainable and illegal production patterns through the poaching of wildlife.
• The fraudulent sale of the product misleads consumers and disrupts responsible consumption patterns, working against the principles of sustainable resource management outlined in Target 12.2.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The effective response by the forest department, leading to the arrest and remand of the perpetrators, demonstrates the crucial role of strong institutions in enforcing environmental laws.
• This enforcement action supports Target 16.3 by promoting the rule of law and ensuring that crimes against wildlife are addressed through the judicial system.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 15: Life on Land

• This goal is directly addressed as the core issue is poaching of wildlife (bats) within a protected “reserve forest.” The article highlights the illegal hunting and exploitation of terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• This goal is connected through the response of law enforcement. The article details the actions of the “Danishpet forest office” and “Forest range officer Vimal Kumar,” who investigated, detained, and arrested the poachers. The subsequent legal action, where the men were “remanded in judicial custody,” demonstrates the functioning of justice institutions to combat wildlife crime.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• This goal is implicitly relevant due to the significant public health risks associated with the consumption of wild animals, particularly bats. Bats are known vectors for zoonotic diseases. By poaching bats and selling the meat for human consumption, the perpetrators created a potential health hazard, linking the issue to public health and disease prevention.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 15: Life on Land

• Target 15.7: “Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.”
  • The article is a direct example of this target in action. The men were arrested for poaching bats (“hunted fruit bats”) and trafficking an illegal wildlife product by cooking and selling the meat. The actions of the forest department represent the “urgent action” called for by this target.
• Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.”
  • Poaching within a “reserve forest” is an activity that degrades the natural habitat and contributes to the loss of biodiversity. The hunting of fruit bats directly reduces their population, which can impact the local ecosystem and threaten the species.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.3: “Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.”
  • The response by the forest department, including the investigation based on reports of “frequent gunfire,” the arrest of the two men, and their remand into “judicial custody,” are all actions that uphold the rule of law against environmental crime.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.d: “Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.”
  • The illegal trade and consumption of bat meat is a known pathway for zoonotic diseases. By stopping this activity, the forest department’s actions serve as a form of risk reduction, preventing a potential public health crisis and thereby strengthening the management of national health risks.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 15 (Target 15.7)

• The official indicator is 15.7.1: “Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked.” The article provides a specific instance that would contribute to this data: the poaching and sale of bat meat disguised as ‘chilli chicken.’ The number of arrests for wildlife crimes, such as the “two men” arrested in this case, can serve as a proxy indicator for enforcement efforts against such trafficking.

Indicators for SDG 16 (Target 16.3)

• While the article does not mention official indicators like 16.3.2 (unsentenced detainees), it provides direct evidence of the justice system in action. The statement that the poachers were “arrested on Sunday and remanded in judicial custody on Monday” serves as a qualitative indicator that legal processes are being applied to perpetrators of wildlife crime, thus measuring progress towards promoting the rule of law in this area.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com