Conservationists and legal experts have raised serious concerns about a surge of social media content in India that appears to normalise and facilitate illegal handling, hunting and trade in wild animals.
Conservationists compiling evidence of online offences
Field staff at the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) in Karnataka have been documenting Instagram reels that depict a range of worrying behaviours, from the manufacture and sale of jaw traps to footage of animals being hunted or kept in illegal captivity. The material, which has attracted substantial engagement on the platform, is described by researchers as a form of cyber-enabled wildlife crime that is “subtle, sophisticated, and sometimes hard to identify”.
“My co-workers and I started checking and compiling such videos being circulated on social media, particularly Instagram,”
The review by CWS led its field conservation head, P.M. Muthanna, to notify the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in February 2026 about eight Instagram accounts that allegedly show and offer jaw traps and demonstrate illegal hunting of species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Types of content and immediate risks
Examples cited by researchers include reels showing a civet cat ensnared in a jaw trap (one such post reportedly had more than 25,000 likes), videos of people hunting monitor lizards and clips from a workshop manufacturing jaw traps. Some content appears to document the care of illegally kept wild pets, such as Indian star tortoises, and is presented as everyday life rather than criminal activity.
| Content type | Illustrated risk |
|---|---|
| Jaw trap manufacture and sale | Increased availability and normalisation of injurious devices |
| Hunting reels | Instructional or encouraging behaviour towards illegal killing |
| Illegal pet care videos | Promotion of wildlife trafficking and demand for protected species |
Experts warn these clips can act as tutorials, marketplaces and social validation for behaviour that contravenes wildlife laws. The material’s short, engaging format and high reach make it particularly effective at spreading techniques and demand.
Calls for legal and platform action
Researchers and advocates are urging a multi-pronged response. Recommendations in the reporting include:
- Amendments to existing wildlife legislation to address cyber-enabled offences;
- Targeted training for forest department personnel to identify and investigate online evidence;
- Greater accountability from social media companies for content that facilitates wildlife harm;
- Public awareness campaigns to reduce demand for wild species and discourage sharing of harmful content.
Pradipty Bhardwaj, a PhD scholar cited in the reporting, described the threat as an emerging one whose scale has not yet been systematically measured in India. Current studies have been limited to smaller case reviews rather than comprehensive national analysis.
Implications for enforcement and conservation
Enforcement agencies face practical and legal challenges when tackling wildlife crime that is mediated through global social platforms. Evidence preservation, jurisdictional questions and the volume of content create hurdles for traditional investigative approaches. At the same time, the rapid viral spread of short-form video increases the potential pool of offenders and buyers.
Campaigners say stronger cooperation between conservation bodies, law enforcement and technology firms is necessary to detect, remove and penalise content that directly facilitates the capture, injury or trade of protected species. They also caution that without concerted action, the online normalisation of harmful practices could translate into greater on-the-ground impacts for vulnerable species and habitats.
The reporting points to an urgent need for systematic research to quantify the phenomenon and for policymakers to consider reforms that recognise the distinct challenges posed by cyber-enabled wildlife offences.
