The cheetah is a classic example, a species hunted to the dead end of extinction in India. A beginning can only be made if the consumer is sensitised to the issue. And only if the demand is curtailed will the illegal trade of our invaluable flora and fauna stop. Poaching Poaching has been a burning issue with most Environmentalists in India. Poaching of the Asian elephant for ivory has severely depleted its population.
Male tuskers are the main quarry of poachers.
The killings have adversely affected the animal's sex ratio. During 1994-1998, more than 100 cases were reported from the Southern States of India alone. Several other species such as the pangolin and civets are killed for their parts to be used in tribal medicine. The trade in live mammals is another area which demands greater attention. Wild species of mammals such as the blackbuck, the giant squirrel, the Slow Lorris and several species of primates figure in the domestic as well as international trade from India.