Smuggled Orangutan, reptiles seized from flat as forest officials bust wildlife smuggling racket in Thane

The smuggled animals were found in appalling conditions inside the flat in Dombivli (East) in Thane district and would not have survived had they not been rescued in time, an official said.

Thane: Busting a major wildlife smuggling racket, forest officials on Tuesday rescued an Orangutan and several reptiles from a rented flat in Dombivli town near Mumbai.

It was one of the biggest such operations ever conducted by the forest department and indicated how widespread wildlife smuggling was, said an official here.

The smuggled animals were found in appalling conditions inside the flat in Dombivli (East) in Thane district and would not have survived had they not been rescued in time, he said.

Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia and considered to be a critically endangered species.

No arrest has been made in the case yet, the forest department official said.

The Orangutan, along with the seized reptiles, will be kept under the supervision of wildlife experts until they are returned to their natural habitats or placed in appropriate conservation facilities, he added.

People should be vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to wildlife trade, appealed the official.