Is it finally possible that the world is finally taking wildlife crimes seriously? As a wildlife advocate, US Person hopes the capture of Rajkumar Praja, one of Nepal's most wanted poachers, marks a new era of international cooperation to stop the slaughter for profit of remaining animal populations. Praja has spent years on the run from authorities before he was arrested by INTERPOL in Malaysia and extradited to Nepal where he faces a lengthy prison term for rhino poaching and trafficking in rhino horns. In 2013 more than a dozen of his gang and Praja were arrested by Nepalese authorities. Praja confessed to killing more than 20 rhinos in Chitwan National Park; he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. But he escaped and fled the country.
INTERPOL issued an international arrest warrant at the request of Nepal. The fugitive was a target of INTERPOL's Infra Terera Operation, its first global operation focused on environmental criminals. 139 fugitives were on its list of criminals wanted by 36 countries for crimes ranging from illegal fishing to trafficking in ivory and horn Investigators were told Praja was living in Malaysia and living under an assumed name in January, 2015. Through cooperation between Nepal and Malaysia via INTERPOL, Praja was taken in Malaysia and subsequently extradited to face justice at home. The successful capture of a major wildlife criminal shows that international cooperation among countries committed to zero poaching can work. You can help in this important international effort by backing a wildlife ranger through World Wildlife Fund.