Mizoram Police have rescued 24 exotic animals, including 18 snakes, at Kanhmun along the Mizoram-Tripura border, and arrested two individuals, both residents of Tripura, authorities said on Thursday.
A Mizoram Police official stated that the exotic animals had been smuggled from Myanmar and were en route to Agartala. Police personnel intercepted a Tripura-bound vehicle at Kanhmun and discovered 18 snakes, four turtles, and two monkeys.
The vehicle's driver, Chawngthanmawia (32), a resident of Amarpur in Tripura's Gomati district, was apprehended. During preliminary interrogation, Chawngthanmawia revealed that he had received the consignment of exotic animals from Binoi Molsom (34) at the Zodin bus stand in Aizawl, with instructions to deliver them to Agartala.
Following this lead, police arrested Molsom, a resident of North Tripura district, at Sairang. The rescued animals were handed over to a range officer of the Kanhmun forest range under the state forest department for further legal actions. The police are continuing to interrogate the detainees to gather more information about the smuggling operation.
The smuggling of endangered and exotic animals from Myanmar has been on the rise, posing significant challenges for wildlife conservation. Concerns have been raised about the inadequate care and protection of recovered wild animals. Wildlife experts and animal lovers have expressed worries that the upkeep, nursing, and rehabilitation of these animals are not always sufficient.
Northeast India's biodiversity conservation organization, Aaranyak, Mizoram-based Youth for Environment Justice Mizoram (YEJM), and Tripura-based Centre for Aquatic Research and Environment (CARE) have recently called on authorities to ensure proper precautionary measures, care, treatment, protection, and rehabilitation of recovered wild animals.
These organizations stressed that, in accordance with the guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority, the smuggled animals must be kept in proper quarantine with appropriate diet and care. However, they noted that in many cases, these measures are not adequately implemented, leading to further distress for the animals.
