India's growing exotic pet trade exposes regulation gaps

DEMAND FOR NON-NATIVE SPECIES UP

- USHA PERI

INDIA’S growing trade in exotic pets, driven by demand for non-native species, is exposing significant gaps in the country’s legal and regulatory framework, posing risks to public health, biodiversity and animal welfare, according to a new report by Humane World for Animals India in collaboration with wildlife trade researcher Kritika Balaji.

The study report, ‘Safeguarding Biodiversity and Public Health: A Policy Analysis of Exotic Pet Trade in India,’ says the demand for non-native wildlife as pets has increased steadily over the past decade, riding on their perceived social status value, rising urban affluence and rapid expansion of online marketplaces.

While recent amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act have strengthened oversight of species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the study says India’s regulatory framework remains fragmented and is ill-equipped to deal with the scale and complexity of the exotic pet trade.

The report estimates the Indian exotic pet market at USD 42.6 million (₹405 crore) in 2024, with projections suggesting it could reach USD 75.8 million (₹720 crore) by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 10.2 per cent. Species commonly traded include green iguanas, sulcata tortoises, ball pythons, African grey parrots, blue-and-gold macaws, sugar gliders and pygmy marmosets.