New Delhi: YouTube has removed content showing illegal trade of pangolin - protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 - on its platform following a year-long effort by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the overall wildlife conservation fraternity.

"Over the past year, the Wildlife Crime Control Division at the WTI has been tracking such content and compiled a list of URLs that was promptly responded to, by the video sharing and social media giant, WTI said in a statement.

"As of now, our team has been able to report 35 such video links on YouTube. A detailed report was sent to YouTube to inform them of the legal protection that the pangolin has in India while highlighting that such content can be marked under various sections defying the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and CITES Resolution on Conservation and Trade of Pangolins," it said.

Both the Indian and the Chinese subspecies of the Pangolin showcased in these videos are protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and hence, the capture, hunting and possession of the animal makes one liable to the highest penalties, including financial penalties or prison term or both. Both these species of pangolins are also listed as being "Critically endangered" by the IUCN Red List of Species with numbers below 5,000 in the wild.

The products derived from pangolins are in high demand especially from the South East Asian countries, with the baseless belief that it possesses 'magic' and has healing abilities. In 2016, all eight species of pangolins were moved from Appendix II to Appendix I which completely prohibits any international trade in pangolin and pangolin parts.

The WTI statement also flagged that it's just not pangolins that are being marked for sale on the internet. Illegal wildlife and pet trade on the internet also extends to several protected species of turtles, tortoises, snakes, lizards and birds (like Rose-ringed Parakeets). "Hatha Jodi, a product that was marketed as a 'rare plant root' but actually are severed and dried genitals of the highly-protected monitor lizards, did rounds on social media and several popular e-commerce platforms till WTI exposed the trade," it said.

WTI has appealed to animal lovers to engage with its 'Cyber Spotter Network' where they can help report such objectionable content being shared on social media.