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<\/a> Kartick Satyanarayan and friends.<\/strong><\/em> AGRA,\u00a0 India\u2013\u2013<\/strong>Wildlife law enforcement agents worldwide,\u00a0 both with government agencies and with nonprofit organizations,\u00a0 might take a lesson from the present plight of Wildlife SOS cofounder Kartick Satyanarayan.<\/p>\n In particular,\u00a0 Satyanarayan could probably teach quite a bit from his own example about the risks inherent in hiring poachers and traffickers to help catch more poachers and traffickers.<\/p>\n Satyanarayan might also offer a lesson about the legal fine line between setting up a \u201csting\u201d and allegedly participating in illegal entrapment.<\/p>\n The most painful part of the lesson could be about \u201cwringing off,\u201d\u00a0 \u00a0like a trapped animal gnawing off a limb to escape,\u00a0 from a situation involving a supposed \u201cright hand man.\u201d<\/p>\n But that remains to be seen.<\/p>\n <\/a> Kartick Satyanarayan.<\/strong><\/em> Among the most accomplished animal rescuers since Noah,\u00a0 as acknowledged even by most of his critics,\u00a0 Satyanarayan has built Wildlife SOS up since 1995 from his own work as a part-time volunteer for the Friendicoes humane society,\u00a0 headed by his wife Geeta Seshamani,\u00a0 responding to wildlife emergency calls in the Delhi area,\u00a0 to a $4.2-million-a-year organization operating sloth bear sanctuaries in four Indian states,\u00a0 plus sanctuaries for former working elephants in three states.<\/p>\n By all accounts,\u00a0 again including those of his vehement critics, \u00a0Satyanarayan has had a leading role in ending the dancing bear industry in India,\u00a0 taking more than 650 sloth bears out of private hands since 2000,\u00a0 and reducing the number of elephants in Indian circuses from 67 to 47 since 2015.<\/p>\n Along the way Satyanarayan,\u00a0 initially working alone,\u00a0 undercover,\u00a0 has arranged countless interdictions and arrests of poachers and wildlife traffickers.<\/p>\n Usually this has been done in cooperation with the Uttar Pradesh state forest department,\u00a0 sometimes with other agencies.<\/p>\n <\/a> Maneka Gandhi.<\/strong><\/em> As Satyanarayan himself became increasingly well-recognized,\u00a0 he trained and deployed an entire investigative team,\u00a0 now operating as the Wildlife SOS subsidiary Forest Watch.<\/p>\n The issue now is not what Satyanarayan has done,\u00a0 but rather how he and some of his team have done it,\u00a0 exposing themselves,\u00a0 Wildlife SOS,\u00a0 and the animals in their care to considerable financial as well as personal risk.<\/p>\n The question is how far explosive current allegations may go,\u00a0 both in court and in public opinion,\u00a0 particularly the opinions of donors.<\/p>\n \u201cI am trying to help him,\u201d\u00a0 Maneka Gandhi told ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A member of the Indian parliament from 1988 to 2024,\u00a0 serving in cabinet positions under four Indian national governments,\u00a0 Maneka Gandhi also founded People for Animals in 1992, \u00a0the first and largest Indian national animal advocacy organization.<\/p>\n <\/a> Kartick Satyanarayan & Geeta Seshamani.<\/strong><\/em> A lifelong friend of Friendicoes humane society director and Wildlife SOS cofounder Geeta Seshamani,\u00a0 Maneka Gandhi herself personally introduced ANIMALS 24-7 <\/strong>to Seshamani and Satyanarayan in 1997.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem,\u201d\u00a0 Maneka Gandhi told ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> by email on August 17,\u00a0 2026,\u00a0 \u201cis the incentive [that Satyanarayan allegedly offered to poachers] to kill more animals so that he could get more poachers caught. It\u2019s a slippery slope.\u201d<\/p>\n Explained Jay Mazoomdaar,\u00a0 \u00a0among the senior journalists in India on wildlife and habitat news beats,\u00a0 for The Indian Express<\/em> on August 17,\u00a0 2026,\u00a0 \u201cInvestigators have found that a seasoned wildlife contraband trader and his associate, \u00a0arrested by the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force over an alleged big cat poaching operation on July 23,\u00a0 2026, \u00a0were on the payroll\u201d of Wildlife SOS.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage) <\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n The alleged trafficker,\u00a0 Bhagwan Singh, \u00a0has a rap sheet known to ANIMALS 24-7<\/strong> dating back at least to 2006,\u00a0 when he was reportedly in trouble over possession of a python.<\/p>\n \u201cBelonging to the hunter community of Mogya, \u00a0from Madhya Pradesh state,\u201d\u00a0 according to The Hindu<\/em>,\u00a0 Bhagwan Singh was arrested in December 2010 for allegedly poaching wild boar near the Chambal Crocodile Sanctuary in Rajasthan state.<\/p>\n Dharmendra Khandal of the conservation organization Tiger Watch told The Hindu<\/em> that Bhagwan Singh\u2019s gang had \u201ckilled at least 10 wild boars in the area in the past three days.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Singh,\u00a0 reported Anurag Dwary for the television network NDTV,\u00a0 when arrested in the current case,\u00a0 \u201chad acquired a fake identity: \u00a0Salim,\u201d\u00a0 to be used \u201cshould he be caught by authorities carrying out illegal activities.<\/p>\n \u201cSources have said that people linked to Wildlife SOS had allegedly helped Singh acquire his fake identity,\u201d\u00a0 Dwary continued.\u00a0 \u201cInvestigators are now trying to verify who gave Bhagwan the alias, where and how it was used, \u00a0and what exactly his relationship was\u201d with Wildlife SOS.<\/p>\n The one source Dwary identified was Samita Rajora,\u00a0 the first female chief of the Madhya Pradesh state wildlife department.<\/p>\n <\/a> Wasim Akram, director of sustainability & special projects for Wildlife SOS.<\/strong><\/em> The alleged \u201cassociate\u201d of Bhagwan Singh whom Mazoomdaar mentioned,\u00a0 busted with Singh by the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force,\u00a0 was Wasim Akram,\u00a0 director of sustainability and special projects for Wildlife SOS..<\/p>\n Bhagwan Singh \u201cand his accomplice Wasim,\u201d\u00a0 wrote Mazoomdaar, \u00a0\u201care said to have told investigators they were acting on the instructions of Satyanarayan.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigators claim to have gathered \u2018substantial digital evidence\u2019 tying [Singh] to an operation they believe was run \u2018for personal gains,’\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar reported and Dwary confirmed.<\/p>\n \u201cThey are examining whether Satyanarayan \u2018organized poaching and staged seizures\u2019 to build his and the Wildlife SOS anti-poaching profile, \u00a0and whether he was also involved in wildlife trafficking,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar said.<\/p>\n <\/a> Indian leopard.\u00a0 (Big Cat Rescue photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n The allegations originated,\u00a0 according to Mazoomdaar,\u00a0 \u201cwhen four poachers were arrested on the Gwalior-Agra highway with ten leopard skins. \u00a0At the time, Wildlife SOS credited months of surveillance by its own Forest Watch anti-poaching unit for the bust.<\/p>\n \u201cBut because the pelts had originated in Madhya Pradesh, \u00a0the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force opened a parallel probe,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar explained.<\/p>\n \u201cField investigations in the Shivpuri and Morena forests turned up multiple sites where leopard remains were buried; \u00a0these have been sent to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun for DNA matching against the skins seized\u201d on July 23,\u00a0 2026,\u00a0 Mazoomdaar detailed.<\/p>\n \u201cInvestigators also recovered three leghold traps,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar said.<\/p>\n <\/a> Jay Mazoomdaar,\u00a0 journalist.<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Elaborated Dwary,\u00a0 \u201cInvestigators are now trying to establish who manufactured or supplied the traps, \u00a0how they entered Madhya Pradesh, \u00a0and whether their movement reveals another layer of the interstate network. \u00a0The investigation is therefore no longer confined to the men who allegedly placed the snares. \u00a0It is probing the roles of suppliers, \u00a0accomplices, \u00a0and handlers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis trail,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar wrote,\u00a0 \u201cled the investigators to Bhagwan Singh and, \u00a0through him, \u00a0to Wasim Akram. \u00a0The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force picked up Bhagwan Singh on August 11,\u00a0 2026, \u00a0and Wasim on August 13,\u00a0 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Singh,\u00a0 \u201ca wildlife trader with a long history, \u00a0turned out to be on the payroll of Wildlife SOS for at least five years,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar said,\u00a0 citing but not naming \u201ca senior Madhya Pradesh forest official,\u201d\u00a0 who may have been Samita Rajora\u2013\u2013or not.<\/p>\n <\/a> (Greg Robbins photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n \u201cAccording to sources familiar with the investigation,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar continued, \u00a0\u201cSingh and his accomplices scouted forest areas around Shivpuri and Morena in a Wildlife SOS vehicle \u2014 now in Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force custody \u2014 and distributed leghold traps sourced from Haryana state to hand-picked local hunters.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was Singh, \u00a0sources said, \u00a0who arranged for four poachers to carry the 10 leopard skins to a decoy buyer where Uttar Pradesh police made the arrests.<\/p>\n \u201cThis network started poaching leopards in the Shivpuri area last year,\u201d\u00a0 the anonymous source told Mazoomdaar.\u00a0 \u201cIf it was indeed an undercover operation to nab poachers, \u00a0why did they continue until 10 leopards had been killed?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> Cheetah. (Beth Clifton photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n Noted Dwary,\u00a0 \u201cThe men were allegedly operating in the very landscape where India has reintroduced cheetahs after their extinction from the country more than seven decades ago. \u00a0And sources associated with the investigation claim the poachers could not reliably distinguish between a leopard and a cheetah.<\/p>\n \u201cThe heavy iron traps hidden in these forests do not recognize species. \u00a0And if a cheetah stepped into one,\u00a0 investigators fear the result could have been the same \u2014 their death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSingh\u2019s arrest is reviving scrutiny of an earlier case,\u201d\u00a0 Mazoomdaar said,\u00a0 also involving \u201cSingh, \u00a0with Wasim, \u00a0in 2023, \u00a0when a tiger skin, a leopard skin, and a tiger skeleton were seized,\u00a0 according to Tamil Nadu forest department sources. \u00a0Wildlife SOS claimed credit then, \u00a0too, \u00a0for both the seizure and the poachers\u2019 subsequent conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> Wildlife SOS cofounder Kartick Satyanarayan with rescued elephants.<\/strong><\/em> Responded Satyanarayan,\u00a0 to Mazoomdaar,\u00a0 \u201cWildlife SOS is a law-abiding organization that has worked closely with law enforcement agencies throughout its 32-year history to combat poaching and support wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work with law enforcement agencies across several states in India for a range of purposes, including wildlife crime prevention, \u00a0rescue, \u00a0and conservation,\u201d\u00a0 Satyanarayan said.\u00a0 \u201cWe remain committed to fully supporting all legitimate investigations and lawful processes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not privy to any material\u2013digital evidence\u2013you [Mazoomdaar] are referring to. \u00a0None of this alleged material has been shared with me or with Wildlife SOS,\u201d\u00a0 Satyanarayan testified,\u00a0 \u201cso I cannot comment on its contents or authenticity. \u00a0If such material is placed before us through due process of law,\u00a0 we will examine it and respond appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n Satyanarayan responded at greater length two days later via The Pioneer<\/em>,\u00a0 published from multiple Indian cities since 1865.\u00a0 To The Pioneer<\/em>,\u00a0 Satyanarayan cited \u201ca track record of 32 years of \u00a0wildlife conservation in 19 states,\u00a0 credited with rescuing over 5,31,000 animals [including birds] in coordination with [state] forest departments.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nHow did Wildlife SOS cofounder & experienced anti-poaching investigator Kartick Satyanarayan get caught in such a tangle?<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
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(Wildlife SOS screenshot from video)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nWho is Kartick Satyanarayan?<\/h2>\n
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(From Asian News International video).<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n\u201cI am trying to help him\u201d<\/h2>\n
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(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n\u201cThe problem is the incentive\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nBoar & python<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nFake ID<\/h2>\n
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(Wildlife SOS photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nWildlife SOS director busted<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nLeopard pelts & leghold traps<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nWhere did the traps come from?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\u201cWhy did they continue until 10 leopards were killed?\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>\nCheetahs<\/h2>\n
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(Wildlife SOS photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\nSatyanarayan responds<\/h2>\n