Conservationist says India not returning seized orangutans

In a revelation that is bound to worry wildlife activists and conservationists in India, at least four orangutans were seized by various forest departments in the country in recent months, according to well-known international wildlife conservationist Leif Cocks, whose organization works to rescue and rehabilitate the great apes in Indonesia. What’s worse, some of these orangutans have not been returned to their home as mandated by India’s own Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and international...

Caiman young in toothpaste boxes seized at Bombay airport

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...

Monkey, 3 birds, including Schedule 1 species, rescued from Pune slum

Four animals, including a monkey and a bird that is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, were rescued from a slum in Pune city of Maharashtra in a joint operation by the state’s Forest Department, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – India, and RESQ Charitable Trust, the website Newstrack reported. The monkey was chained, and the birds were kept in small cages nearby. The animals have been admitted...