PM to Ban Gift of Animals by Head of State and Government

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting of the National Board for Wild Life. The Prime Minister approved the following decisions of the Board taken at its meeting here today:

1. To constitute a Task Force On the Status of Tigers in wildlife parks across the country. In response to alarming reports of the disappearance of Tigers the PM had already ordered a CBI enquiry. The proposed Task Force will include forest officials, representatives of civil society and wild life experts. The Task Force will be asked to give a report on the current status of Project Tiger and the status of tigers in wild life parks.

2. The PM also accepted the Board's suggestion to establish a National Wild life Crime Prevention and Control Bureau.

3. The PM also informed the Board that the Government will ban any gift of animals by the Head of State / Government to other Heads of State/ Government or foreign zoos.

4. The Board also gave its approval to allow access into protected forest areas for professional researchers for purposes of carrying out scientific research.

5. The Board also decided to commission a special study on the status of Vultures, in the light of reports of the threat of extinction of vultures.