Species Of Rare Tortoise And Exotic Monkeys Seized In Assam
Update: 2022-09-08 21:15 IST
Forest officials said the process of identifying all the seized species, that were kept in crates, is underway. (HT Photo)
On Thursday, several dozen rare and exotic animals that were smuggled through Myanmar were found by Assam police and forest officials. The rare tortoises, monkeys, and wallabies were among the creatures found in two expensive SUVs with Delhi number plates in Rangia in the Kamrup district. The two drivers of the cars were taken into custody.
According to Kamrup police chief Hitesh Roy, the cars were travelling from the Myanmar border in Mizoram to Delhi. Army stickers were stuck on the SUVs. Furthermore, officials stated that they are trying to verify the species of animals that were seized.
Five exotic monkeys, including a wallaby and tufted capuchin (both severely endangered), were saved from alleged smugglers by Kamrup forest rangers in April of this year.
The driver of the SUV where the animals were discovered was detained. Five caged primates were rescued from a Manipur-based truck earlier that month in the Karbi Anglong area of Assam. The primates were siamang gibbons, a species that is mostly found in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Two people from Manipur were detained in relation to the incident.