Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (WLPA)
Definition
Central Indian statute that regulates protection of wild animals, birds and plants. Provides for Schedules of species, sanctuaries, national parks, the WCCB and offence penalties. Amended substantially in 2022 to realign Schedules with CITES.
- Jurisdiction
- India
- Enacted
- 1972
- Key provisions
- Species Schedules, sanctuaries, national parks, WCCB
- Major amendment
- 2022, realigned Schedules with CITES
Common questions
What changed in the 2022 amendment to the WLPA?+
It reduced the number of Schedules, updated the species lists to better match CITES appendices, and revised penalty structures, aligning India's domestic wildlife law more closely with its international treaty obligations.
What role does the WCCB play under this Act?+
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, established under the Act, coordinates enforcement across states and agencies, gathers intelligence on wildlife crime, and assists investigations that cross state or national boundaries.
How do the Schedules affect a forensic case?+
The Schedule a species falls under determines the severity of penalties and the level of legal protection, so accurate species identification by a forensic examiner directly decides which offence and punishment apply.
Related terms
- CCMB LaCONES
- Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. CSIR institute that handles DNA-based species...
- CITES Appendices I/II/III
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Appendix I: no commercial international trade (tiger, Indian rhino). Appendix II: trade regulated by permit....
- COI Barcoding
- DNA-based species identification using a standard 658 bp segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene. Sequences are matched against reference...
- Cyt-B Barcoding
- PCR amplification and sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. The standard marker for species identification of mammals from skin, hair, bone or...
- NTCA
- National Tiger Conservation Authority. Statutory body under WLPA (2006 amendment) that administers Project Tiger and the network of 50-plus tiger reserves.
- Schedules I to VI (Pre-2022) / I to IV (Post-2022)
- Lists appended to the WLPA that classify species by level of protection. Schedule I species (tiger, rhino, pangolin, snow leopard) receive absolute...
- WCCB
- Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Statutory multi-disciplinary body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), created by the 2006 amendment...
- WII Dehradun
- Wildlife Institute of India. Autonomous MoEFCC institution. Houses the Wildlife Forensic and Conservation Genetics Cell, the country's central wildlife forensic facility. Maintains...