Pune: The forest department on Monday seized 197.7kg of coral stones and two Macaw birds in 11 raids at different pet stores and households in the city against the backdrop of increasing illegal wildlife trade in Pune. There are various trade routes linking the city to Mumbai, Chennai and the Middle East.
In 2023, authorities had raided over 16 locations on suspicion of scheduled species of animals being held. During the Monday raid, the directorate of revenue investigation collected coral stones listed under schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972, and Macaw birds listed in schedule 4 of the Act. Corals are illegal to trade, transport and even own because of location of production and inclusion in the Act.
It is formed with calcium carbonate and are source of minerals for fish. However, it is sold illegally for use and decoration of aquariums. Haryana Jammu & Kashmir Haryana Alliance View i Party View Seats: 90 Results Majority: 46 BJP 48 CONG 37 INLD 2 AAP 0 OTH 3 Results : 90 / 90 BJP WON Jammu & Kashmir Alliance View i Party View Seats: 90 Results Majority: 46 JKNC 42 BJP 29 CONG 6 PDP 3 OTH 10 Results : 90 / 90 HUNG ASSEMBLY Source: PValue Meanwhile, the person accused was presented before the magistrate court on Monday and remanded to magistrate custody until Oct 20, said forest officials.
On Sept 26, the department had arrested five individuals from a tribal community for poaching a wild boar and attempting to trade the meat in the city. They were caught .