On the afternoon that we phone M Maranko, regional deputy director of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WWCB), he's in the midst of sifting through pictures of a raid that took place the same morning. Having received information that some persons were smuggling and selling rare species of parakeets in Nanded, his team was dispatched to bust the racket. "The parakeets are so young that even the feathers haven't formed. It's heartbreaking to see," he says. Although proud that they managed to intercept the illegal sale in time, Maranko says the real hero in this case is not his team nor the police department, but the informer. "WCCB is a small unit; I have only three inspectors and three constables for the whole of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat. We rely heavily on volunteers and ordinary people for tip-offs."

It's no surprise then that the anti-poaching unit of Thane, which covers Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur and Thane, is actively seeking help from citizens on social media to track wildlife crime. The unit will now reportedly have a dedicated helpline number, email ID, volunteers to scour social media for illegal wildlife trade.