Rescued Exotic Animals | 09 Nov 2020

Why in News

Recently six blue or hyacinth macaws and two capuchin monkeys were released in the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden in Guwahati.

  • Earlier, a large consignment of exotic animals was confiscated by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in the same region.

Key points

  • Provisions Related to Illegal Wildlife Trade:
  • Concerns:
    • The possibility of spread of zoonotic diseases on account of smuggling in such exotic species is increasingly becoming a global concern against the backdrop of Covid-19.
    • Illegal wildlife trade was ranked the fourth largest transnational organised crime globally, after the smuggling of narcotics, counterfeit goods and human trafficking.
    • West Bengal and northeast India are vulnerable to cross-border wildlife smuggling because of their proximity to the Bangladesh and Myanmar borders, and to Thailand.
    • Many international organisations involved in wildlife crime use the Indo-Bangladesh Border for various other illegal activities, such as smuggling of drugs, commercial goods, and even gun-running, apart from illegal movement of foreign currency.

Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden

  • The Guwahati Zoo was established in 1957.
  • The Zoo is located in the Hengrabari Reserve Forest in the capital city of Guwahati.
  • Owing to its rich fauna, the Assam State Zoo is popularly known as "Green Lung" of the Guwahati city.

Blue Macaws

  • Scientific Name: Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
  • It is a parrot native to central and eastern South America.
  • With a length of about one meter it is longer than any other species of parrot.
  • It is the largest macaw and the largest flying parrot species.
  • Threat: Habitat loss and the trapping of wild birds for the pet trade have taken a heavy toll on their population in the wild.
  • Protection status :

Capuchin Monkeys

  • Scientific name: Cebus.
  • Capuchin Monkeys, also called sapajou, is a common Central and South American primate found in tropical forests from Nicaragua to Paraguay.
  • They are named for their “caps” of hair, which resemble the cowls of Capuchin monks.
  • Protection status:
    • International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List: Least concerned.

Source:TH