Two consignments of trafficked wildlife to be deported

The animals were kept under the care of recognised facilities for medical intervention after they were intercepted, said Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Thane

Mumbai: In a rare instance, two wildlife consignments trafficked into Mumbai via flights operated by Indigo airlines will be deported back to their origin country, Bangkok, on Wednesday morning, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The animals will be deported as per guidelines issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on July 23

One consignment – comprising three meerkats, three lizards, two iguanas, one skink, one four-eyed turtle and around a hundred spiders and tarantulas – was intercepted on Monday afternoon. The other consignment, comprising two marmosets and 50 Albino red-eared sliders, was intercepted on August 8.

The animals were kept under the care of recognised facilities for medical intervention after they were intercepted, said Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Thane.

“There are very few cases where animals are deported back as it involves a long process of connecting with the native country and checking if they are willing to take the animals back,” Sharma told Hindustan Times.

He confirmed that necessary permissions were in place and the animals would be deported on Wednesday morning.

The animals will be deported as per guidelines issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on July 23, which reiterated regulations laid down by Animal Quarantine and Certification Services (AQCS) and the customs department regarding immediate deportation of trafficked animals to their country of origin. Airlines via which animals are brought into the country illegally would be responsible for their deportation, as per regulations.

“We have given the necessary clearances to deport the animals, though it is up to the airlines to decide how they will do it,” said Yogesh Warkad, deputy director of the wildlife crime control bureau.