Customs officers at Bombay’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport seized five caiman babies from two passengers who arrived on a Vistara flight from Bangkok, Thailand, late on Friday. The reptiles were found hidden in toothpaste boxes in the passengers’ cabin baggage.
The reptiles, about 5-7 inches in length each, appeared to be dehydrated and distressed, according to a report from the Press Trust of India news agency. They were examined and treated by veterinarians from the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, or RAWW.
The reptiles were later returned to the country from which they were trafficked, as per the rules laid down under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, an officer told The Indian Express newspaper. The passengers involved in the smuggling attempt were arrested.
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Caiman are protected species listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Schedule IV of the Wild Life Act. They are relatively small-sized crocodilians belonging to the subfamily Caimaninae, one of two primary lineages within the Alligatoridae family, the other being alligators.
Caiman are native to Central America and South America where they are found in marshes, swamps, lakes, and mangrove rivers. They grow to an average maximum weight of 6-40 kg (13-88 lb) depending on species. Only the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) can grow more than 4 m (13 ft) in length and weigh in excess of 450 kg (1,000 Ib).
