SAVING SKINS
A division bench of the Delhi high court has issued notices to the state chief secretary, the conservator of forests and ministry of environment and forests regarding what has been done about wildlife material confiscated in the past nine years. This has been done following a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Maulina Swarup. According to the petition, the forest department had planned to burn confiscated tiger, leopard, monitor lizards and snake skins; and quills of porcupines. "Invaluable animal skins deserve to be preserved and protected in the natural history museums. The government's reasoning that the destruction will act as a deterrent to poachers is illogical,' the petition stated.