Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

39. Wild animals, etc., to be Government property

(1) Every-

(a) wild animal, other than vermin, which is hunted under section 11 or sub-section (1) of section 29 or sub-section (6) of section 35 or kept or ⁴²[bred in captivity or hunted] in contravention of any provision of this Act or any rule or order made thereunder or found dead, or killed by ⁴³[***] mistake; and

(b) animal article, trophy or uncured trophy or meat derived from any wild animal referred to in clause (a) in respect of which any offence against this Act or any rule or order made thereunder has been committed;

⁴⁴ [(c) ivory imported into India and an article made from such ivory in respect of which any offence against this Act or any rule or order made thereunder has been committed;

(d) vehicle, vessel, weapon, trap or tool that has been used for committing an offence and has been seized under the provisions of this Act,]

shall be the property of the State Government, and, where such animal is hunted in a sanctuary or National Park declared by the Central Government, such animal or any animal article, trophy, uncured trophy or meat ⁴²[derived from such animal, or any vehicle, vessel, weapon, trap or tool used in such hunting] shall be the property of the Central Government.

(2) Any person who obtains, by any means, the possession of Government property, shall, within forty-eight hours from obtaining such possession, make a report as to the obtaining of such possession to the nearest police station or the authorized officer and shall, if so required, hand over such property to the officer-in-charge of such police station or such authorized officer, as the case may be.

(3) No person shall, without the previous permission in writing of the Chief Wild Life Warden or the authorized officer-

(a) acquire or keep in his possession, custody or control, or

(b) transfer to any person, whether by way of gift, sale or otherwise, or

(c) destroy or damage, such Government property.

Back

Index

Next