The alpaca, a valuable species native to the Andes in Peru and known for its luxurious wool, was being smuggled from Bangladesh to India, which the BSF said made “this attempted trafficking both unique and alarming”. According to a BSF statement, its personnel stationed at the international border noticed three Bangladeshi smugglers using a bamboo ladder to transfer the Alpaca over the international border fencing as four Indian accomplices waited on the Indian side to receive the animal.
The BSF said a blank round of firing was used to stop the trafficking, following which the Indian accomplices disappeared into a nearby mango orchard, while their Bangladeshi counterparts fled into Bangladesh’s territory.
“The swift and decisive actions of our vigilant troops are a testament to BSF’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding our borders and protecting wildlife,” said N K Pandey, DIG and Public Relations Officer of the BSF South Bengal Frontier. According to established protocol, the rescued alpaca has been handed over to the Forest Department for rehabilitation and care.
Alpacas are domesticated animals belonging to the camel family that inhabit marshy mountainous areas from southern Colombia and Ecuador south to northern Chile and northern Argentina in South America. Their relatively smaller physical size distinguishes them from other members of the family. They can grow up to 35 inches and weigh approximately 55-65 kilograms. Alpaca wool is used in fleece production.
Due to its porous borders and complex geography, West Bengal has long remained an established route for the trafficking of wildlife along the India-Bangladesh border. The BSF has made several seizures of wildlife over the years. Last month, indianexpress.com reported on the unlawful smuggling of threatened Indian star tortoises along this border route.
Strict central government regulations surrounding the import of wildlife and a growing fancy among ordinary people for keeping uncommon live birds and animals at home for display or as pets, in addition to the “collection” of wildlife by hobbyists, are among the biggest reasons why the trafficking of non-native wildlife has increased over the years. This is particularly applicable in the case of unique wildlife like the alpaca, which is not commonly seen in this region.
One reason the southern Bengal route witnesses wildlife trafficking is that duties are very high for the import of livestock, and many permits are required, which people try to avoid, an expert on wildlife trafficking told indianexpress.com, requesting anonymity. The market value of the alpaca, as in the case of other wildlife, is withheld due to official regulations to prevent the trafficking of the species.
The expert said it is likely that the alpaca was being smuggled into India to be part of private zoos or was headed to a domestic breeding farm, as experts have witnessed in the monitoring of wildlife trafficking over the years.
While the alpaca’s natural habitat is Peru, it is found in captivity in several other countries. “When you want all animals of the world to be in your collection, they are likely to come from all over,” the expert said.
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