বাংলায় পড়ুন
A lion cub, presumably from Africa, along with three rare primates were rescued from Belghoria Expressway, thousands of kilometers away from their natural habitat, last week. They were being smuggled to western India. A smuggling racket has been busted resulting in three men being arrested. The arrested men have been identified as Wasim Rahman (29), Wajid Ali (36) and Md Gulam Gaus (27).
This operation is being viewed as a major success achieved in a joint operation by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Wildlife Crime Control Unit, West Bengal Forest Directorate. A joint team chased and intercepted a vehicle on the Belgharia Expressway near Kendriya Vihar Housing Complex. The endangered animals were found inside the vehicle and seized from the possession of the three accused. Preliminary investigation reveals that the consignment was brought from Bangladesh and was likely to be sent to western India.
Somnath Chatterjee, Assistant Wildlife warden, claimed that the animals have been rescued safely and they are fine. The officials said many of the species, which had been smuggled in the last few years, have been of foreign origin and were smuggled to India because of the hefty prices they fetch. They added that rescued animals and birds are handed over to zoos, but there have been many instances in which they die while being smuggled. The rest are killed for food or for their body parts.
A wildlife official who preferred to remain anonymous said that over the last few years West Bengal has become eastern India’s biggest hub for smugglers dealing in endangered animals and animal parts. Bengal is also used as a transit point for smugglers, operating between India and the neighbouring countries. This crack through could, therefore, be very significant in tracking down more such rackets in the region.
