21-year-old man booked for keeping exotic animals in Thane house

Thane The Thane forest department on Friday seized three exotic animals from Thane. The officers recovered a pastel ball python, a tegu salvator lizard and a ferret

Thane The Thane forest department on Friday seized three exotic animals from Thane. The officers recovered a pastel ball python, a tegu salvator lizard and a ferret from a Thane resident.

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“All the seized animals have been found in the home of Soham Mangesh Pandnekar, 21, who is the resident of Guru Prerna, near Ashok talkies, in Thane. We raided his house after neighbours complained of his activity,” said Narendra Muthe, range forest officer (Thane division), Thane forest department. “These animals are exotic and laboratory breeding animals. However, no action has been taken against the Pandnekar yet. Matter is being investigated,” added Muthe.

The animals are being kept under observation by the forest department at Thane Nagar police station.

In an earlier instance of smuggling of exotic animals, the Vashi police on on January 16, had rescued an Indian pangolin and arrested three persons for allegedly trying to sell the animal. Two of the accused had found the pangolin in the forest near their village in Raigad and decided to sell it.

The Kalamboli police, last month, had arrested seven person while they were trying to traffic a pangolin in an ambulance to sell it in Navi Mumbai.