Chennai: A one-month-old Leopard cub, smuggled from Bangkok, was rescued by Authorities at Chennai’s Anna International Airport on Saturday. Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) said a passenger was carrying the cub stuffed in a stroller bag.
The passenger, identified as Kajah Moideen, 45, brought the cub in a plastic basket that he had stuffed in the bag he carried on the Thai Airways flight from Bangkok. After collecting his checked-in luggage, Moideen tried to leave the airport in a hurry but was intercepted by security guards for questioning.
The baggage search led to the discovery of the leopard cub, which was weak and in a state of shock. The cub belongs to the Leopard species Panthera Pardus. It weighs 1.1 kg and measures 54 cm in length.
A veterinary doctor from the Aringar Anna Zoological Park was called to check the condition of the cub. Customs officials fed the cub milk with a feeding bottle.
The rescued cub has been entrusted to the Vandalur Zoo while a case has been registered against Moideen under the Wildlife Protection Act,1972 which bans smuggling of wild animals, including Leopards, in and out of India.
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Kalinga AI