Hyderabad: Uttar Pradesh police and forest officials caught a man in Mirzapur, said to be part of an animal smuggling racket based in Hyderabad. His two accomplices escaped. The three were trafficking five caracals (wild cat) and a leopard cat, which were meant for a private zoo near Charminar, it is suspected.
The smuggler who was arrested has been identified as Mohammed Arif, son of Abdul Basit, a resident of Kalapattar. The kingpin is yet to be identified but is said to be from Hyderabad. It is suspected that Hyderabad and Bengaluru have several farm houses with zoos.
UP divisional forest officer K.K. Pandey, speaking over the phone, told this newspaper that the arrested man “is yet to spill the beans totally”. “He tried to bluff that he was working for the government zoo in Rajendranagar.”
UP: Wild cats for global trade
UP divisional forest officer K.K. Pandey, said, “The trio were sent from Hyderabad to Bihar and were returning to Hyderabad. Police during the process of checking stopped the Toyota Innova vehicle. They had painted the vehicle light brown to look dusty and also to conceal the number plate. Police found boxes and cages and wild animals in gunny bags. Immed-iately they informed us. We have taken custody of the animals and a case has been booked against them under the Wild Life Protection Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code.”
Caracal (left) and leopard cat (Right) were being brought to the city from UP.
Mr Pandey further added, “Usually for government zoos, there are permits. He was very inconsistent in his talk.”
UP principal chief conservator of forests Umendra Sharma said the animals were meant for a private zoo in Hyderabad. “We suspect a big racket behind it. We haven’t sighted caracals, a rare species, for years in UP and MP. They are said to be from Bihar. None of the Indian zoos has these caracals. We are shifting them to a local zoo for treatment. If there is a male and female we will try to start a breeding programme after getting permission.”
Mirzapur superintendent of police R. Kal-anidhi Naithani told this newspaper that the wild animals were be-ing taken to Hyderabad and kept there temporarily and later sent to other countries.
