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Key informant perceptions on wildlife hunting during the first COVID-19 lockdown in India


Affiliations
1 Wildlife Conservation Society-India, 551, 7th Main Road Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, 2nd Phase, Kodigehalli, Bengaluru 560 097, India
2 Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, ‘Amritha’, 12th Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysore 570 017 India; Interdisciplinary Center for Conservation Sciences, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1 TQ, United Kingdom
3 Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Yelahanka, Bengaluru 560 064, India
4 Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, ‘Amritha’, 12th Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysore 570 017, India; Snow Leopard Trust, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Suite 325, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
5 Wildlife Conservation Society-India, 551, 7th Main Road Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, 2nd Phase, Kodigehalli, Bengaluru 560 097, India; Mhadei Research Centre, 6, Hiru Naik Bldg Dhuler, Mapusa, Goa 403 507, India
 

We studied the effects of the COVID lockdown in India on illegal hunting of wildlife using on-line interviews with key informants. Household consumption, and sports and recreation were identified as the main moti­vations, and logistical challenges for enforcement, disruption of food supply and the need for recreational opportunities as key factors associated with increased hunting during lockdown. These insights were corroborated by the statements made by experts extracted from media articles. Our findings suggest that the lockdown potentially increased hunting across much of India, and emphasize the role of livelihood and food security in mitigating threats to wildlife during periods of acute socio-economic perturbation.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic, food security, illegal hunting, lockdown, wildlife
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  • Key informant perceptions on wildlife hunting during the first COVID-19 lockdown in India

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Authors

Uttara Mendiratta
Wildlife Conservation Society-India, 551, 7th Main Road Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, 2nd Phase, Kodigehalli, Bengaluru 560 097, India
Munib Khanyari
Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, ‘Amritha’, 12th Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysore 570 017 India; Interdisciplinary Center for Conservation Sciences, Oxford University, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1 TQ, United Kingdom
Nandini Velho
Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Yelahanka, Bengaluru 560 064, India
Kulbhushansingh Ramesh Suryawanshi
Nature Conservation Foundation, 1311, ‘Amritha’, 12th Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage, Mysore 570 017, India; Snow Leopard Trust, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N, Suite 325, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
Nirmal Kulkarni
Wildlife Conservation Society-India, 551, 7th Main Road Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, 2nd Phase, Kodigehalli, Bengaluru 560 097, India; Mhadei Research Centre, 6, Hiru Naik Bldg Dhuler, Mapusa, Goa 403 507, India

Abstract


We studied the effects of the COVID lockdown in India on illegal hunting of wildlife using on-line interviews with key informants. Household consumption, and sports and recreation were identified as the main moti­vations, and logistical challenges for enforcement, disruption of food supply and the need for recreational opportunities as key factors associated with increased hunting during lockdown. These insights were corroborated by the statements made by experts extracted from media articles. Our findings suggest that the lockdown potentially increased hunting across much of India, and emphasize the role of livelihood and food security in mitigating threats to wildlife during periods of acute socio-economic perturbation.

Keywords


COVID-19 pandemic, food security, illegal hunting, lockdown, wildlife

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi4%2F448-454