Assam: Rescued Exotic Birds And Animals Kept In Quarantine In State Zoo

GUWAHATI: Over 52 exotic birds and animals have been rescued by the Assam Police with the help of forest officials near the Mizoram border in Hailakandi on March 29.

A team of forest guards from Hailakandi has handed over these exotic species to the state zoo after they were rescued.

The rescued wildlife include 44 red and blue lories, five black lories, two rufous hornbills and a babirusa swine, which were being smuggled in from Indonesia through Myanmar to Mizoram.

The exotic creatures were rescued when they were transported by trucks to Kolkata.

Ashwini Kumar, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the state zoo, revealed that these birds and animals appeared to be in a state of distress, nervousness and hunger when they were brought to the zoo for rehabilitation.

Kumar informed that the smuggled species have been kept in quarantine and are currently undergoing treatment, adding that they will adapt to their surroundings in about one-and-a-half-months.

Furthermore, the forest official disclosed that the rescued wildlife have been kept under constant CCTV surveillance to find out if they are adapting to the conditions well.

Kumar further added that the veterinary experts are examining them to detect any traces of injuries or foreign viruses.

Notably, the zoo is home to 609 different species of mammals, 401 avian species and 1,272 species of reptiles and it happens to be one of the prime tourist attractions in the city.

Meanwhile, in a similar incident that unfolded earlier this year, a total of 49 exotic animals and birds, suspected to have been smuggled from the India-Myanmar border, were successfully seized and rescued in Champhai district.

The joint team of Assam Rifles and the Forest Department, acting on specific intelligence, discovered the exotic animals and birds concealed inside iron cages and plastic baskets.

The smuggling route traced from the India-Myanmar border on the Aizawl side indicating a well-organized operation to transport the animals discreetly.

ALSO READ: Assam: Tragic Road Accident Claims Life of Class 10 Student in Assam's Kamrup District

ALSO WATCH: