Port Blair, May 9: The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972) stands as a pivotal legal framework safeguarding various species of wild animals ensuring the preservation of their habitats and regulating the trade in products derived from them. The most recent amendment to the Act in 2022, known as the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 has been in effect since 1st April, 2023.

Section 49 M of the Act mandates the registration of possession, transfer and birth as well as reporting the death of living scheduled animal species listed in the Appendices of CITES and classified under Schedule IV of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in line with its commitment to Wildlife Conservation has notified rules called the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024 issued vide Gazette Notification on February 28, 2024 regarding the enforcement of rules U/s- 49 M of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

This Notification signifies a significant step forward in wildlife conservation efforts. The notification outlines the procedures and requirements for registration and reporting under Section 49 M facilitating efficient compliance and monitoring.

Under the new rules, individuals possessing living specimens of such animal species are obligated to apply for registration within six months of the Rule’s commencement. Subsequently, any possession of such species must be reported within thirty days through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal (https://parivesh.nic.in/parivesh-ua/#/) to the concerned State Chief Wild Life Warden.

Moreover, the rules stipulate that any transfer of possession and the birth of offspring of such specimens shall also be registered while the death of such specimens must be reported promptly to the respective Chief Wild Life Warden through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal.

This initiative underscores the Government's commitment to bolstering wildlife protection measures and fostering greater accountability in the management of schedule species.

For more information and to view the Gazette Notification, visit (link to the Gazette Notification) https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2024/mar/doc202436319801.pdf