Guwahati: At least 37 animals and snakes were seized from a person during checking of vehicles at Jorabat on the Assam-Meghalaya border on Saturday.
The animals and reptiles were packed into three crates in a vehicle bearing Mizoram registration number, which was going to Guwahati from Aizawl. Jorabat police arrested the person carrying the animals, identified as Pradip Kumar from Uttar Pradesh.
The animals recovered are a sugar glider (a flying squirrel), a meerkat, three marmoset, two African spurred tortoises (also called Sulcata tortoise), two albino reticulated pythons, 13 corn snakes, 10 giant scorpions (two dead), four Gabon vipers and a dead central bearded dragon.
Veterinary doctors and wildlife experts identified the animals as rare and endangered species from North America, South America, Africa and Thailand. The animals were brought to the state zoo for safe-keeping.
Jorabat police outpost in-charge Partha Pratim Gogoi said, "We were on routine checking of vehicles around noon when we stopped the Mizoram vehicle. After we examined the three crates in the vehicle, we found several animals and snakes. We arrested the man in the vehicle, who said a person from Delhi had told him to transport the animals to Uttar Pradesh. He said they were brought from Thailand and he was taking them in a train from Guwahati. We informed customs officials about the seizure as the animals are of foreign origin."
Thailand has a thriving illegal trade in rare and endangered animals, a zoo official said.
Guwahati wildlife division forest officer Pradipta Baruah said, "This is the biggest haul in Assam and probably in the country of such animals and reptiles. None of the animals are found in India. The marmoset is originally from South America and the meerkat is found in Africa. The Gabon viper is one of the most poisonous snakes, while the pythons are from Thailand. The spiny-tailed lizard died of heat. The market value of the animals will be in crores."
"The animals may have been sourced from wildlife traffickers from across the international border in Mizoram. We will keep the animals in the zoo," he added.
