Hunting Surveys in Jhargram and Bankura

February 2020 onwards

As part of a collaborative project with Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), HEAL is conducting a series of surveys for gathering information on the dates of ritualistic hunting festivals in several blocks of Bankura and Jhargram where such hunting is known to take place, Specific villages were identified based on the interactions with hunters during earlier hunting festivals.The information collected during these surveys will be used in creating detailed hunting calendar and maps which show the exact hunt locations and the corresponding dates when the festival takes place. This information is being actively shared with authoritiesto enforce the law and take pre-emptive measures to stop hunting festivals.

Over the past two years, HEAL had filed two public interest litigations against ritual hunting in Bengal. Pursuant to these PILs Calcutta High Court placed an embargo on killing of wild animals during hunting festivals. HEAL has been monitoring hunt locations and working closely with authorities to prevent hunting and ensure compliance with the Court’s orders. A detailed  hunting calendar and map capturing the exact hunt location is essential to ensure implementation of High Court’s order prohibiting ritual hunting of wildlife in South Bengal.

These surveys have been started from February 2020, but had to be paused due to the Covid-19 lockdown. They will again start from August 2020.

Many thanks to Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) for their generous support.