As many as five exotic animals were seized from a passenger’s bag at Chennai airport last week. The five Dwarf and Common-spotted Cuscus were smuggled from Bangkok by the passenger who has now been arrested.
The common dwarf mongoose is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa.
It has soft fur ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown, a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs, and long claws, NDTV reported.
#WATCH | On 23rd October, Chennai Customs officers seized five Dwarf and Common spotted Cuscus concealed inside check-in baggage from a passenger who arrived from Bangkok, Thailand. All the Cuscus were deported to Thailand. The passenger was arrested.(Source: Customs) pic.twitter.com/4fNTWpC8Aa
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2022
The common spotted cuscus is found in Cape York region of Australia, New Guinea, and nearby smaller islands. The species, also known as the white cuscus, is about the size of a common house cat and has a round head, small hidden ears, thick fur, and a prehensile tail to aid in climbing. Its eyes range in colour from yellows and oranges to reds, and are slit much like a snake’s.
Earlier this month, 665 animals of exotic species were seized at the Mumbai airport. The animals, smuggled into the country concealed in an imported consignment of live fish, included rare lizards, pythons and iguanas.
The import of such species, listed under appendices to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), is banned, the official said.
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