India 'needs hunting ban to save wildlife'

Strict hunting bans need to be introduced and enforced in India to save wild animals from extinction, according to an expert.

Professor PK Sharma, vice chancellor of Chandra Shekhar Azad University, was speaking at an event staged at Kanpur Zoo in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, to celebrate the end of World Wildlife Week.

Professor Sharma appealed for people to spread awareness of the importance of wildlife and said zoo officials should be praised for staging a programme of events aimed at encouraging school students to appreciate the importance of conservation.

The celebration saw prizes awarded to young people who'd taken part in various nature and conservation-based events during the week. One of the events saw a group of local school students 'adopting' six cockatiels.

The events were attended by zoo officials and vets, city mayor Jagatveer Singh Drona, a forest conservation expert and representatives from industry, banking and local government.