(IN): Bhutanese duo in forest net

[Guest guest]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080910/jsp/siliguri/story_9810548.jsp

 

Bhutanese duo in forest net

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Alipurduar, Sept. 9: Bengal forest officials today caught two Bhutanese

nationals involved in cross-border smuggling of animal parts and seized

three leopard skins and two elephant jaw bones from them.

 

The two men were arrested from Jaigaon, a town on the India-Bhutan border.

This is the first time that anyone from Bhutan has been caught here for

wildlife crimes.

 

" During bipartite meetings, forest officials of Bhutan always claim that

there are no illegal activities like felling, poaching or smuggling of

animal parts on their side, " said Ujjwal Ghosh, the divisional officer of

wildlife III division, which conducted the raid.

 

" Today's arrests will come as an important revelation to the Bhutan forest

department, " Ghosh added.

 

The forester said the arrested men had been identified as Tashe Wang Norbu

and Pema Loday. " Both are from Bhutan. "

 

They will be produced in court tomorrow, said Ghosh.

 

Today, acting on a tip-off, a 16-member team from the Jaldapara East and

West ranges reached Jaigaon market around 1pm. Niranjana Mitra, the

assistant wildlife warden of Jaldapara, led the team, which included the two

range officers, Ranjan Talukdar (East) and Buddhadeb Mandal (West).

 

The foresters had information that two Bhutanese persons would collect two

bags containing animal parts from the market. So they scattered around the

area and waited.

 

Soon, a woman was seen putting down two bags beside a road close to the

market. A little later, the smugglers arrived at the scene on foot and

picked up the bags and started walking towards Phuentsholling, a town

adjacent to Jaigaon but located in Bhutan.

 

Immediately, the foresters intercepted them. " We found three leopard skins —

one of an adult female, while the other two are probably of its cubs'— and

the jaw bones of two elephants, " said the divisional forest officer.

 

The two were later brought to the office of assistant wildlife warden of

Jaldapara. The woman who had put down the bags managed to escape, said

Ghosh.

 

The divisional forest officer added: " There are a couple of spots on the

skins that we suspect to be marks made by bullets. To confirm our suspicion,

we are sending the articles for forensic test. The skins are new and we are

trying to find out from where the parts were brought. "

 

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui