The problem - National parks are too small and there is no human free buffer zone around the parks which has led to humans killing animals that stray on the edges of the park. Humans are in many cases encroaching into the park boundaries and killing animals within the parks. As you know there has been a particular problem with out of control mobs lynching animals and killing them in barbaric and cruel ways. A prime example is the leopard that was recently caged and set on fire.
The videos that showed the graphic footage of the leopard being set on fire in a cage and being left alive and suffering until daylight the next day have all been suspiciously removed.
This poor animal was left to suffer for hours and die slowly in unimaginable pain. Whilst the park rangers stood back and did nothing, they did not even euthanize the animal and left him to suffer horribly. This degenerate behaviour is not acceptable and has no place in any civilised society, and the world condemns this atrocious behaviour.
India has a responsibility to its people and to the world to maintain the biological diversity within the national parks, to protect the boundaries of the national parks and to protect the animals that inhabit the parks.
The solution - If India is serious about the agreements that were made and the laws that have been passed which protect wild animals, stop cruelty to animals and protect biological diversity then strong action needs to be taken with urgency. All the people responsible for these crimes need to be made an example of and receive harsh penalties for their crimes. Fourteen days in prison for setting light to a live endangered animal is not sufficient. Harsher penalties are required if it is to be an effective deterrent. All the park rangers that were present at the attack also need to be punished for neglect of their duties.
The national parks need to be protected by armed guards as they are in Africa and they need to use the same shoot to kill policy which is an effective deterrent to protect the wildlife. A buffer zone is needed around all the national parks in order to avoid the conflicts and mob riots in the first place so that the animals can roam safely on the boundaries of their habitats.
Many of the most globally loved species that bring tourism to India and are symbols of the country are on the verge of extinction due to persecution from humans. New approaches are called for and action needs to be taken with urgency or India will be seen to have failed shamefully in its duty to preserve and protect its wildlife.
We the undersigned pledge to boycott India by not visiting the country or buying any products that are from India until India tackles these problems and starts to take animal welfare and protection and wildlife conservation seriously.
