India, May 3 -- Social media is rife with gory footage of crimes and cruelty against wildlife, including bloodthirsty hound packs digging out hares and porcupines from burrows and savaging them amid the blood-curdling shrieks and cries of the victims. A minuscule portion of such content is ever removed by social media companies. Neither is content moderation by the companies adequate, nor is enforcement of the laws by the central and state governments when such offensive posts are red-flagged.

A new and disturbing addition to the above violations of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2022) is the open sale of birds of prey or raptors such as shikras and black kites on Instagram. So, it's not just about garnering clicks, shares,...