Exotic birds, monkeys smuggled from Thailand seized at Mumbai airport

Mumbai, July 6 (PTI) The Customs has seized seven exotic birds and three monkeys, smuggled alive from Thailand, at the Mumbai airport and detained two passengers, officials said on Saturday.

Of the seven birds, three were found dead while unboxing the consignment while the survivors would be sent back to the east Asian country, said a forest department official.

The baggage of the two passengers who landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Friday was searched on suspicion and seven flame bowerbirds, two cottontop tamarin monkeys and a marmoset monkey were found concealed inside, said a customs official.

Three of the birds were found dead, he said.

The surviving birds and monkeys were handed over to the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) for treatment.

They were dehydrated and stressed, said Pawan Sharma, president of RAWW and honorary wildlife warden with the Maharashtra forest department.

They were treated by Dr Rina Dev and a team of rescuers and rehabilitators and handed back to the customs, he said.

As the animals and birds are not of Indian origin, they would be sent back to Thailand as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, said the forest official. PTI ZA KRK