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.
Vihal, who is a first party in the case, has claimed that he paid Rs 5000 to his friend, a minor and purchased the snake. The second party, the pet shop owner demanded Rs 45,000 for the same and the plan to sell it for lakhs together once it grows big, was also on.
Officials have found several photos and videos of wild animals including python in the mobile phone of the pet shop owner, which they are investigating further.
Investigation has revealed that the accused used to collect python newborns or incubate and hatch a clutch of python eggs found locally and sold them.
The forest officials said that the illegal wildlife trade is also spread across Tamilnadu. The accused have been found to have been purchasing and selling such scheduled animals from Tamilnadu and it seems to be a big racket.
The raid was carried out under the guidance of Mangaluru Range Forest Officer(RFO) Rajesh Baligara, DRFO Mohan, other forest department staff Faizur, Mehabubasaba, Vivekananda, Shravanakumar and patrol staff Rasulasaba, Gangadhar, Rohith, Veena and Suraj and Siddappa.
Further investigation is on by RFO Rajesh Baligara under Anthony S Mariyappa, deputy conservator of forests (DCF), Mangaluru division and Clifford Lobo (ACF, Mangalore Division).