Can 3D printed animal parts save endangered wildlife?

KOLKATA – Growing up in Arunachal Pradesh, Mr Tadar Kayung often admired the striking clouded leopard jawbones worn by Nyishi tribesmen, strapped to their belts holding traditional machetes.

At 27, the Nyishi electronics postgraduate student finally wore one with pride – during the February Nyokum harvest festival – but it didn’t come from a clouded leopard killed in the Eastern Himalayas. It was instead created from a 3D printer.

Hunters in this Indian state have traditionally brandished animal jawbones to show off their hunting prowess. But these days, said Mr Kayung, even ordinary men wear them to flaunt their style, to tell others that they are “equally dangerous”.

“I wanted one for the same reason,” he told The Straits Times.

The clouded leopard jaw is among several animal part replicas that start-up Arunachal Ivory and Ornaments (AIO) produces in Yupia, a town near the north-eastern state’s capital Itanagar.

The company makes lifelike replicas of animal parts – including clouded leopard and tiger jaws, hornbill beaks and eagle claws – using 3D-printing technology. Its goal: Reduce the hunting of vulnerable species still used for tribal adornment across Arunachal Pradesh.

In this tribal-dominated state, where at least 26 major groups live, animal parts have deep cultural significance. Hornbill beaks, for instance, symbolise manhood and vitality, while tiger or clouded leopard jaws signify social status.

AIO’s co-founder Nabam Bapu estimates five to six animals can be killed to complete a single male Nyishi ceremonial outfit. It is a realisation he stumbled upon during a casual conversation on Nyishi costumes over morning tea with his wife Likha Nana, a history researcher with whom he co-founded AIO in 2022.

“We have not been able to unsee that moment,” Mr Bapu, also a Nyishi, told The Straits Times.

Why should animals be killed just so that tribals can dress themselves, the couple wondered. But they also realised asking locals to give up their cherished traditional costumes was not an option.

“Our cultures, stories, traditions, mythology – all that will vanish,” Mr Bapu added, which is why they came up with the idea of launching AIO, an alternative that instead allows tribal sartorial traditions to thrive without harming wildlife.

AIO launched its first product – a 3D-printed clouded leopard jaw – in June 2023. Since then, it has sold over 10,000 replicas.

These are made mostly from ecofriendly plant-based polymers, and cost a fraction of one made of animal parts. AIO’s clouded leopard jaw is priced between 3,000 rupees (S$46) and 5,000 rupees, compared with 300,000 rupees in the black market for the real thing, Mr Bapu estimated.

Shoulder straps and machete covers made of artificial fur and traditional sling bags produced from fake skin and fur are in the pipeline.

In India, hunting and the possession of wildlife parts are illegal. Enforcement of wildlife protection rules in tribal areas, however, can be complicated by customary hunting rights and cultural practices.

This is not the first time replicas have been used in conservation efforts in Arunachal Pradesh. In the early 2000s, non-profit groups like the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature India introduced fibreglass hornbill beaks to discourage rampant killing of the bird.

The initiative saw success, with many locals even surrendering real hornbill beaks to the authorities. Awareness campaigns highlighted the bird’s key ecological role as seed dispersers as well as its ability to drive ecotourism.

A 2015 study showed more than 43 per cent of Nyishi people interviewed were open to using artificial hornbill beaks.

The problem, noted Mr Bapu, is not resistance to change among locals but the lack of options. Illustrating this, Mr Kayung said he would have tried buying a real clouded leopard jaw if it were available. “(But) now that there is an option as good as the original, there is no reason to buy it.”

Still, AIO’s solution isn’t perfect. Certain traditional practices, especially among shamans, still demand real animal parts, which are believed to hold spiritual power – something replicas cannot replace.

Fortunately, demand from shamans represents only a fraction of the total demand for real animal parts, Mr Bapu said.

There are also concerns from conservationists and enforcement officials on the perverse implications on demand.

Dr Jimmy Borah, a senior manager at Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, notes that using replicas could unintentionally normalise the use of real animal parts among some.

“It doesn’t entirely stop the illegal use of real animal products,” he said.

Hornbills continue to be killed in Arunachal Pradesh, added Dr Borah, albeit in reduced numbers, along with clouded leopards, tigers and bears for their parts.

What’s needed to stop this? “Creating more awareness, reducing the demand for animal parts and strongly prosecuting perpetrators of wildlife crimes,” Dr Borah said.

Another issue: The replicas are so realistic they confuse the authorities. Early on, AIO’s products drew scrutiny from wildlife officials. To address this, AIO started embossing its logo on each replica.

Still, enforcement remains tricky. “There is a thin line of difference between the fake and the real here… making it difficult for our field staff to distinguish between the two,” said Dr Damodhar A.T., conservator of forests with the government of Arunachal Pradesh.

The presence of logos on replicas may not be of much help either, he added, with such alterations possibly even added to real animal parts to make them seem artificial.

While fibreglass replicas of hornbill beaks or stainless steel porcupine quills may be acceptable as they can be easily distinguished from original ones, he thinks the use of lifelike 3D-printed replicas should be discouraged.

In the long run, Dr Damodhar hopes communities in Arunachal Pradesh will give up the use of animal products and their lifelike replicas altogether.

Until then, replicas of animal parts are a decent compromise for many to keep tribal cultures alive.

“I cannot be Westernised,” said Mr Tadap Nabam, a Nyishi and the founder of Arunachal Nature and Wildlife Foundation. He worked with WTI to popularise the use of artificial hornbill beaks among his tribesmen.

“Let our culture thrive and let’s keep the animal alive too… This brings us double benefits.”

• Debarshi Dasgupta is The Straits Times’ India correspondent covering the country and other parts of South Asia.

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