Chennai: At least 11 exotic animals kept at an Erode farmhouse without any mandatory licence could not be seized by forest officials and taken to Chennai as scheduled on Tuesday, as the local magistrate court did not accord permission.Forest officials visited the farmhouse, owned by S K Kesavanathan, who is accused of trafficking Lar gibbons from Manipur, and found the undocumented exotic species, including seven servals, two Lar gibbons and two tufted capuchins, all kept in enclosures on the premises.
Lar gibbons at the farmhouse
Kesavanathan had no documents to show that the animals were legally procured from a trader or a pet shop, Erode district forest officer (DFO) Kumili Appala Naidu told TOI.The DFO said gibbons are arboreal primates that require large tree canopies to swing, play and move between trees. At the farmhouse, however, the animals were confined to a small enclosure that did not allow them to move around freely, he said.Following the discovery, forest officials decided to confiscate the exotic wildlife from the farmhouse after obtaining permission from the judicial authorities. Wildlife authorities moved the district court on Monday, and on Tuesday the magistrate directed that the accused, Kesavanathan, be produced in person before Thursday, after which the department would be allowed to take possession of the animals.Kumili Appala Naidu said that soon after the raid, Kesavanathan had agreed to pay a penalty for the wildlife trafficking violations. However, he later went absconding, and efforts are now underway to trace him.
Serval cat found in farmhouse
The forest department had planned to shift the confiscated animals to the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur for care and rehabilitation once they were seized. However, with the delay in obtaining court permission, this process is now likely to be delayed further, a wildlife official said.Further investigation is on to determine how the exotic species were smuggled into Tamil Nadu, and whether more people are involved in the trafficking network, officials said.
