Builder held for keeping wild animals

VADODARA, Aug 18: The forest department on Monday evening formally detained builder Ashwin Patel for keeping wild animals listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act in his private possession and presented him before Chief Judicial Magistrate A G Vasa, who released him on a Rs 5,000 bail.

Deputy Conservator of Forest Dr R M Patel told Express Newsline on Wednesday that the builder was held in connection with his possession of a black buck, a giant squirrel and a rare species of primate 8212; the hoolock gibbon 8212; about two-and-a-half years ago.

According to Patel, though the giant squirrel was sent to Junagadh zoo, and the black buck to the Vadodara8217;s Sayajibaug zoo, the gibbon was sent to Lucknow zoo only this July 22. Since the department did not have proper arrangements to transfer or keep the primate, it delayed proceedings and finally found a pair of gibbons and proper medical facilities at Lucknow recently. Though Patel was held and interrogated earlier too, he was presented before the court with complete investigation on Monday.