Every year, from March to June, large-scale illegal hunting festivals or Shikar Utsab takes place across the forests, wetlands, and farmlands of South Bengal. Under the garb of tradition, thousands of people enter natural habitats and kill any wildlife they encounter on more than 45 hunt dates. Birds, mammals, reptiles…nothing is spared.

This is not subsistence hunting. For many, it is recreation and a seasonal activity driven by thrill, not need, and increasingly linked to illegal wildlife trade.

What was once limited in scale has now spread widely. With better access to remote areas, hunting groups reach deeper into biodiverse habitats, accelerating the loss of already vulnerable species.

Without intervention, countless animals are killed each season.

For the past decade, year after year, HEAL has been on the ground during this critical period documenting hunting activity, identifying hotspots, supporting enforcement, and working with authorities to prevent wildlife crime. This documentation has also played a crucial role in legal action, enabling HEAL to initiate Public Interest Litigations in the Calcutta High Court. This resulted in judicial directives on the state authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent these ritual hunts and enforce the law.

Because of sustained intervention, such hunt fests have been challenged and curbed in several locations across West Bengal. But the threat returns each season.

This is the critical window. Support our continued on-ground response today. Learn More