4 days ago
Illegal wildlife trade linked to pet shop busted in Mangaluru, four arrested
MANGALURU: Forest officials have busted an illegal wildlife trade in Mangaluru and arrested four persons, including the owner of a pet shop in the city, selling Indian Rock Python as 'Burmese Ball Python' exotic species.
The raid was carried out on July 15 near Ashwath Katte in Kadri in Mangaluru and forest officials arrested Vihal H Shetty, aged 18 years from Badaga Ulepady village in Mangaluru.
Further questioning of Vihal led to the arrest of Petzone shop owner Ibrahim Shakeel Ismail, aged 35, from Munnur village in Ullal and his assistant Mohammad Mustaf, aged 22, from Harekala village in Ullal and also a minor.
Mangaluru Range Forest Officer Rajesh Baligar told The New Indian Express that Indian Rock Python is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 and the accused have links in Tamilnadu for purchase and sale of such wild animals.
One of the accused had advertised the Indian Rock Python as Burmese Ball Python, an exotic species available for sale in Mangaluru on Instagram. The accused were trapped by the forest officials as buyers with the help of an informer and caught one of the accused red-handed with a live rock python.
"The accused were selling it as Burmese Ball Python, one of the exotic species. They used to tell the potential buyers that they need no permission to buy or sell it. We initially met them as customers and nabbed one of the accused Vihal redhanded with a live Indian rock python. The arrested person revealed that he got it from his friend who is a minor studying in a college," RFO Rajesh said.
"Further investigation revealed its link to a pet shop named Petzone shop at Statebank where he was intending to sell it. We went to the shop as potential buyers and the owner contacted the person whom we had caught. So it was all interlinked. We arrested the owner and a worker at his shop," he said.
