CHENNAI: The forest department on Friday booked a case against Erode-based exotic-animal trader S K Keshavanathan under the Wildlife Protection Act for alleged violation of provisions governing the possession, breeding, and transfer of exotic live animal species. The case was booked after the department’s inspection of his facility, where exotic animals, including Lar Gibbons and African Serval cats, were found.
According to forest officials, the case has been booked under Section 49M(8) of the Wildlife Protection Act, which prohibits possession, transfer or breeding of animal species listed under Schedule IV except in conformity with the Act and the rules made by the centre. Officials said the alleged violations attract penalties under Section 51, while the animals can be seized under Section 49Q of the Act.
A senior forest official from Erode said, “Keshavanathan is ready to surrender the animals. Now, the question is what do we do with the animals after seizing them. We don’t have enclosures large enough to keep Gibbons and Serval cats.”
Sources from the Vandalur Zoo in Chennai said there is a vacant Gibbon enclosure, which can easily accommodate the Lar Gibbon pair from Erode. A zoo official told the TNIE, “There was a solitary Gibbon, which died around four months ago,” adding that the Serval cats can also be handled, but so far there has been no discussion on potential transfers.
In the case of Lar Gibbons brought from Manipur, Erode forest officials said the breeder claimed that despite his application, a possession certificate had not been issued to him for years. However, after the animals arrived in Tamil Nadu, their possession was not reported within the prescribed time period.
The animals were transferred to Chennai on August 5, while the application for a possession certificate was made only on August 9, according to the officials. “The issue is whether they can transfer without obtaining a possession certificate. After bringing the animals here, possession has to be reported, which was not done,” an official said.
The investigation also found issues with documentation relating to the African Serval cats. Of the seven Servals found at the Erode farm, documentation is clear only for one animal brought from Hyderabad. “There are no papers for the remaining six. Three adult cats were brought from Kerala without papers and three cubs were born in the Erode farm, which were not reported,” said an official.