Critically endangered gibbon, turtles seized at Kolkata airport

Kolkata: A pair of juvenile white-cheeked gibbon, considered critically endangered on IUCN Red List, along with 15 north American wood turtles (endangered) and 10 four-eyed turtles (critically endangered) have been seized at Kolkata airport by Customs officials on Tuesday morning. According to sources, the consignment was "illegally" brought on a Thai Airways flight (TG313) from Bangkok early on Tuesday morning. "However, the accused left the bag in which the animals were being brought at the belt and fled. Later, we got hold of his Kolkata address from the officials at immigration. A process is on to arrest him," said an official. Officials have initially identified the gibbons as white-cheeked gibbon, which are found in Vietnam and Laos. They are heavily targeted by the illegal wildlife trade for the pet industry, traditional medicine, and bushmeat. "It faces an 80% population decline, driven by poaching and habitat loss. They are listed under CITES Appendix I, banning international commercial trade," said reports. A source in the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, animal quarantine and certification services, said an order will be issued so that they could be deported on the same flight to their country of origin. The seizure has once again raised the issue of space constraints at international arrival zone for checking upon such animals. "There should be a proper animal holding area to check upon both legally imported animals and those brought illegally. Though we have sheds for 30-35 animals, those are meant for legally brought animals. These illegally smuggled animals don't have any health clearance certificate, so they can be threat to national bio-security," a ministry official added. Sources said the four-eyed turtle is also critically endangered and found in China, Laos and Vietnam. "This species, along with the north American wood turtle, are in pet trade internationally since 2012. Their seizure is noteworthy as both the turtle species were never recorded officially on the trade map of Bengal," said herpetologist Anirban Chaudhuri.