In a first, Odisha government bans selfies with scheduled animals

BHUBANESWAR: In a significant move, probably the first in the country, the wildlife wing of Odisha government on Friday declared taking selfies and pictures with scheduled wild animal species, their carcasses, body parts and trophies a punishable offence under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The act liable for punishment with imprisonment up to seven years is intended at dissuading people from taking selfies and photos with wild animals that, apart from violating the provisions of the 1972 Act, has turned out to be fatal for individuals in many instances, said senior forest officials of the wildlife wing. A letter of PCCF wildlife and chief wildlife warden Susanta Nanda to all divisional forest officers, deputy directors of Similipal south and north divisions and Nandankanan Zoological Park in this regard, underlined that people are posting their photographs and selfies taken with scheduled wild animals on social media. The PCCF further stated the photographs or selfies with the dead wild animals or wild animal body parts or trophies posted on social media also amount to violation of section 39 of the Wildlife Protection Act and is a punishable offence.