Kolkata: A primate considered 'vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List, three ball pythons, and two albino squirrels were seized by Customs officials at the Kolkata airport early on Wednesday.
The consignment was seized after it arrived on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok. A resident of Hyderabad, who was supposed to deliver the consignment, was detained for interrogation.
Details of Seized Animals
The silvery lutung, also known as the silvered leaf monkey or silvery langur, is a medium-sized Old World monkey native to the coastal, mangrove, and riverine forests of Southeast Asia. The ball python is a python species found in western and central Africa, where they inhabit grasslands, shrublands, and open forests.
Legal Protection
Both species fall under Appendix II of CITES and are protected under Schedule IV of India's Wildlife Protection Act. Dealing in them can lead to imprisonment of up to three years.
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