The novel coronavirus outbreak has, among other things, cast in sharp relief one of the downsides of the illegal wildlife trade: the heightened risk of zoonotic spillovers. One important subset of this trade is the import of exotic species as pets.
The terms ‘exotic species’ or ‘exotic pets’ are not defined in Indian law. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules 2016 define ‘pet animals’, but the scope of this term is limited to “dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig, hamster, rodents of the rat or mice category and captive birds”. As such, this definition excludes many exotic species like turtles, snakes, iguanas, monkeys, etc., which are all commonly imported into India.
Read the entire article by Abhishek Chakravarty, Faculty, Daksha Fellowship at
COVID-19: India Must Act Quickly to Open the Eyes of Its Laws to Exotic Species
