Nagaur: Wild Blackbuck Fawn Held Captive Rescued by Forest Officials, Following PETA India Complaint

For Immediate Release:

3 August 2026

Contact: 
Meet Ashar; [email protected] 
Shruti Shah; [email protected]  

Nagaur— After learning of several videos posted on Instagram showing the illegal possession of a juvenile blackbuck, a species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) worked with Nagaur Forest Division to get the blackbuck fawn rescued within 24 hours of receiving PETA India’s complaint. The accused was arrested, and their vehicle reportedly used to capture the fawn was seized. 

The rescued juvenile blackbuck is presently under the care and custody of the Forest Department. A comprehensive veterinary examination will be conducted to assess its health and fitness. Based on the veterinarian’s assessment and in accordance with the provisions of the WPA, 1972, the Forest Department will take appropriate steps for the blackbuck’s rehabilitation and release into natural habitat.  

Offences involving species protected under Schedule I are punishable with imprisonment of at least three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine of at least ₹25,000. 

“Illegal possession of wildlife puts vulnerable species at even greater risk,” says PETA India Lead Cruelty Response Coordinator, Sreekutty Bennet. “PETA India commends the Nagaur Forest Division of the Rajasthan Forest Department for the swift action and immediate arrest of the accused, sending a clear message that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.” 

Illegally captured or hunted animals represent losses to India’s fragile biodiversity, as every species plays a role in nature. Blackbucks help keep grasslands healthy, disperse seeds, and are part of a delicate ecological balance that sustains other wildlife. Poaching and illegal captivity destabilise entire ecosystems that the environment and other species depend on for balance and wellbeing. 

PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

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