 | by Kelsey Pape Trapping is undoubtedly one of the cruelest forms of hunting. Part of the reason for this method’s widespread use is how easily accessible the needed tools are. A recent change in India’s wildlife killing device market is going to make it a lot more difficult for these torture devices, as well as other products that support inhumane hunting, to be obtained. |
Amazon India has taken steps to reduce this accessibility to the everyday hunter by removing over 400 items from the site that lead to and support these cruel hunting practices.
The tragic story that led to this major decision was the near death of a baby sloth bear, who has been named Rose. Rose got caught in a snare and lost her leg to the torture device. Unlike most animals, she was found before she died. Rose is no longer fit to survive in the wild, so she will live out her years at the Wildlife SOS conservation in South Asia. Rose’s story was the final push Amazon India needed to make such a drastic change. Strangely enough, under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, hunting is illegal in India, yet Amazon India was one of the main providers of wildlife killing devices.
Not only does the use of snares leave animals suffering for hours or days until finally bleeding out and dying, but anyone can do it. There is also no guarantee of what will wind up caught in the lazy hunter’s trap. Sometimes it’s an endangered animal, and sometimes it’s an animal that the hunter has no interest in that is then tossed aside to decompose after having its life pointlessly ended in such brutality.
When Wildlife SOS reached out to Amazon India with Rose’s story, the legal head of Amazon India, Rakesh Bakshi stated, "We had taken down over 400 products that could be used by the poachers. We wanted to ensure that our platform is not misused.” Not only was it stated that they removed these devices as well as the preserved bodies of poached animals, such as snakes, turtles, and alligators, but they vowed to “support wildlife conservation efforts.” While there will undoubtedly still be ways for hunters to obtain these products, this major step forward will make it more difficult and hopefully raise eyebrows at other companies that sell these inhumane products and spark similar changes to be made. .
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