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Bhutan

If you are in Bhutan and get caught carrying a pheasant feather, you can be fined Nu 500 by the nature conservation section (ncs) of the country's forestry service division. Fines for killing protected animals range from Nu 1,000 (for a piece of otter skin) to Nu 50,000 (for a piece of rhino skin) for offenders who fail to produce whole or parts of killed wild animals. Fines for poaching birds range from Nu 350 to Nu 50,000 and the protected species range from Nu 500 to Nu 50,000.

Karma Tshering, an official with the ncs said, "The fines depend on how endangered the animal, bird or plant species is.' He added, "The fine is almost double if a poacher is caught but the animal parts are missing. ' According to an act framed in 1969, there are 61 protected wild animals of which 14 are enlisted as endangered, 22 protected plant species and 23 bird species of which seven are endangered.

Tshering informed that rules, regulations and penalties for poaching would be discussed at a forthcoming forestry conference.

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