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Poachers’ new target: 30 gharial hatchlings seized in MP, 3 held

This is the first seizure of a major consignment of gharials, a critically-endangered species.

Rescued Gharial hatchlings (MPFD)

The Madhya Pradesh forest department arrested three operators of an international wildlife trade syndicate and seized two consignments of rare aquatic species, including 30 gharial hatchlings, this weekend.

This is the first seizure of a major consignment of gharials, a critically-endangered species. The consignments, said sources in MP forest department, were headed for Bangladesh, via Kolkata.

Last evening, a team of MP Special Tiger Strike Force (STSF) intercepted a car on Sabalgarh–Morena road adjacent to the western boundary of the National Chambal Sanctuary and rescued a consignment of 30 gharial hatchlings and 14 red-crowned roofed turtles, another critically-endangered species.

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Three occupants of the car — Vijay and Ramveer from Gwalior, MP, and Raju from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh — were arrested. Their interrogation led to a raid at Vijay’s Gwalior residence this morning and a second consignment of three red-crowned roofed turtles and 19 critically-endangered three-striped roofed turtles was rescued.

After medical examination, all 66 live specimens will be released in the Chambal river. A case has been filed under the Wildlife Act and all three accused, who have prior records of wildlife crime, will remain in forest remand for further interrogation.

The seizure brings to light the active presence of international poaching syndicates in the National Chambal Sanctuary, the mainstay of gharials in India. Straddling three states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, this 425-km stretch of the Chambal river also harbours a number of other rare aquatic species high in demand in the international market.

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