Illegal Export of Endangered Antelope Shawls: Conviction After 17 Years

A Jaipur-based gallery owner has been convicted for illegally exporting Shahtoosh wool shawls made from critically endangered Tibetan Antelope underfur. After a 17-year legal battle, he was sentenced to three years in prison. The conviction emphasizes the significance of wildlife conservation and laws protecting endangered species.

A Delhi court has sentenced a Jaipur art gallery owner to three years in prison for illegally exporting Shahtoosh shawls made from the underfur of endangered Tibetan Antelopes. Chief Judicial Magistrate T Priyadarshini of Rouse Avenue District Court delivered the judgment on March 12 after a grueling 17-year legal battle.

Customs initially detained the contraband when no clearance was obtained from wildlife authorities. The Shahtoosh, derived from the Tibetan Antelope, is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, making its trade illegal. Globally, the Shahtoosh shawl trade has been banned since 1975 under CITES regulations, to which India is a party.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau's investigation led by Inspector Aarti Singh, later supported by Ramesh Kumar Pandey and forensic analysis from the Wildlife Institute of India, confirmed the presence of Tibetan Antelope wool. This case underscores the commitment to enforcing protection laws for endangered species.

(With inputs from agencies.)