June 9, 2025 - Around 100 officials from the judiciary, forest department, police and legal enforcement agencies convened in Mathura on June 7 for the second edition of the Wildlife Crime, Investigation and Prosecution Workshop, organised by Wildlife SOS in partnership with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.

The event sought to improve and strengthen legal and investigative capabilities to combat wildlife crime and trafficking through collaborative engagement and focused training. Senior legal professionals, forest department officers and enforcement authorities participated in a full-day workshop exploring practical challenges and effective solutions for improving wildlife law enforcement.

The event, held in Mathura, began with a formal welcome and inauguration by Justice CD Singh, Judge at the Allahabad High Court, Sidharth Luthra, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and former Additional Solicitor General of India, Vinod Singh Rawat, Principal Secretary (Law) & LR, Government of UP, Lucknow.

In their addresses, the dignitaries stressed the urgent need for legal clarity, efficient casework and inter-agency coordination. Topics ranged from evidentiary procedures and trial delays to the role of modern forensics in wildlife crime scenes.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, presented key case studies from Wildlife SOS’s field operations, highlighting patterns in trafficking, enforcement gaps and the importance of rapid legal response to wildlife emergencies. Other presenters spoke on improving conviction rates through stronger case-building, coordinated investigations and greater understanding of how wildlife crime is prosecuted in courtrooms.

Justice Singh said, “This workshop aligns legal theory with field-level application. It gives our enforcement officers a much-needed opportunity to update themselves on evolving legal procedures and practical strategies to tackle complex wildlife crimes with empathy and expertise.”

After the workshop, advocate Luthra shared that “Creating awareness about the cruelty and commercialisation behind wildlife crimes is key to building a more humane society. This workshop helped shed light on how we can legally and socially respond to these issues while fostering compassion. I shared case examples that demonstrated how timely legal intervention can make a real difference for animals in distress.”

Sangram Singh Katiar, IFS, Director, Sariska Tiger Project, added, “Such platforms prepare our teams better for real-world enforcement, making them more confident about evidence handling and prosecution protocol.”

“The collective knowledge and passion in the room were inspiring," according to Satyanarayan. "This workshop reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in fighting wildlife crime, and I’m grateful to every individual who contributed to its success,” he added.

Co-founder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS Geeta Seshamani said, “It’s deeply encouraging to see legal, forest, and enforcement systems come together in this way. These efforts are key to protecting endangered wildlife and holding offenders accountable.”

The workshop fostered collaborative dialogue, practical skill-building and a shared commitment to combatting wildlife crime with empathy, strategy and legal precision. The key themes were strengthening legal clarity, evidence handling, casework efficiency and importance of inter-agency coordination.