An innocuous social media post of actor Vikram with a lar gibbon may have snowballed into a full-blown wildlife controversy, but the case has also put the spotlight back on the murky yet growing world of the exotic pet trade in India.
A recent report released by global animal protection and anti-cruelty NGO Humane World for Animals, titled Safeguarding Biodiversity and Public Health: A Policy Analysis of Exotic Pet Trade in India, says the country’s exotic pet trade has moved well beyond a niche hobby. The demand for non-native wildlife as pets has especially increased over the past decade, driven by their perceived social status value, rising urban affluence and rapid expansion of online marketplaces.
A voluntary disclosure scheme introduced by the government in 2020 indicates the scale of the issue. As per the scheme, by February 2021, more than 40,000 people across 30 states and Union territories had declared possession of exotic animals, even though the Humane World for Animals report says the figure likely captures only a fraction of the real number.
Valued at about $42.6 million in 2024, the exotic pet trade is projected to reach $75.8 million by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 10.2%. Reptiles and birds remain particularly popular, with species such as green iguanas, royal ball pythons, African grey parrots and blue-and-gold macaws being the most common in the market.
The market is now expanding to mammals and invertebrates too. Ownership of these animals is often a matter of status driven by urban affluence, not to mention the visual appeal of unusual animals on social media.
The catch is that “exotic” does not automatically mean “illegal”. That legal position, however, changed significantly after the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 brought some 37,000 species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), an international treaty adopted in 1973, into Schedule IV of the law, which lists protected species.
Under the provisions, owners must report possession, as well as transfers, births and deaths of registered animals. The Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024 subsequently established the registration mechanism through India’s PARIVESH portal, a single-window portal for clearances on animals and plants.
However, enforcement has historically proven difficult. Leading conservation organisation WWF-India documented 56 seizures involving roughly 4,000 exotic animals in 2022 alone. A Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce (TRAFFIC) analysis of global seizures between January 2022 and May 2025 found 60 incidents involving live animals smuggled through passenger baggage between Thailand and India, representing at least 87 species and 7,272 individual animals, including critically endangered species.
In India, movement through airports also sheds some light on the scale of the problem. In February, Chennai customs officials reportedly intercepted 31 exotic creatures arriving from Bangkok, including tortoises, iguanas, ball pythons and skinks. Some had been concealed inside a speaker box with inadequate ventilation, and two animals died in the process as well.
The digital marketplace is another growing concern. Social media and online platforms can connect sellers and buyers discreetly, making wildlife transactions harder to monitor. Experts call for stronger oversight of digital wildlife sales and, crucially, a national regulatory framework specifically addressing exotic pet ownership.
Unfortunately, the real cost is faced by the animals. Being transported through multiple countries, they can face prolonged stress, poor hygiene and inadequate care, creating opportunities for disease transmission. Researchers warn that India also lacks comprehensive post-import disease surveillance for exotic species. Venomous reptiles pose an additional emergency risk, according to the report: recent seizures have included species for which suitable antivenom may not be available in India.
Wildlife activists reiterate that unique and particularly endangered animals are not lifestyle accessories. Rather, their paperwork, provenance, welfare and ecological footprints matter. India’s exotic pet market may be booming, but regulators are increasingly asking what, exactly, is being bought, and where it came from.