The police in Mizoram discovered 24 exotic animals and detained two persons of Tripura origin who had been engaged in a trade of smuggling wildlife.
These exotic species, including 18 snakes, four turtles and two monkeys were brought from Myanmar and meant for the state’s capital Agartala, said a representative of Mizoram police.
“These animals were identified during search operations in a maxi-cab intercepted at Kanhmun (on the Mizoram-Tripura border). This vehicle runs between Aizawl and Agartala,” he explained.
The driver of the above-mentioned vehicle is Chawngthangmawia who is a 32-year-old man residing in Amarpur, Gomati district of Tripura. He stated that he received these animals from some Binoi Molsom at a bus stand in Aizwal, who instructed him to deliver them to Agartala.
Molsom (34) was arrested by the police afterwards at Sairang near Aizwal. These exotic animals were handed over to one officer of Mizoram Forest Department stationed at Kanhmun as conveyed by the spokesperson.
“Currently we are questioning our detainees so as to extract more information,” he concluded.
For many years now, smugglers have been importing animals like this through Mizoram from Myanmar; there they find their way to other parts like Siliguri in northern West Bengal or Gujarat or Tamil Nadu via southern Assam’s Barak Valley, and Meghalaya. During this period, over three hundred such creatures which include mainly pythons that lack melanin pigments hence being albino pythons with red eyes as well as parakeets, kangaroos and even turtles have been confiscated.
Assam-based biodiversity conservation organization Aaranyak together with Youth for Environment Justice Mizoram and Centre for Aquatic Research and Environment based in Tripura recently called upon authorities across northeast India to care for and rehabilitate these animals upon recovery.
These groups are of the opinion that smuggled, endangered and exotic animals should be put under proper quarantine with a balanced diet in accordance with Central Zoo Authority’s guidelines; this is however not happening in most cases.
