Suspicious movement of a passenger, a trill from his bag, resulted in the seizure of a leopard cub and the person's detention on Saturday, 2 February at the Chennai Airport, said Commissioner of Customs.
The Commissioner of Customs Rajan Chaudhary said officers of Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) noticed Kaja Moideen who flew in from Bangkok by Thai Airways moving in a suspicious manner, in a hurry to get out.
The officials also heard a trill sound coming from his bag. When queried, Moideen remained evasive. The officials opened the bag and found a pink plastic basket in which a leopard cub was found in a state of shock.
The customs officers fed the cub milk in a feeding bottle. The officials of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) identified the cub as leopard cub of ‘Panthera pardus’ specie.
Meanwhile, a veterinary doctor from Arignar Anna Zoological Park who had arrived, said it was a month old cub weighing about 1.1 kg, measuring 54 cm.
The leopard cub and Moideen were handed over to Tamil Nadu Forest Department for further action, Chaudhary said.
According to the official statement, the cub will be rehabilitated at the Arigna Anna Zoological Park and action will be taken against Moideen under Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
This is the first time the customs officials have seized a leopard cub. Previously, the officials had seized a star tortoise, different types of snakes and other animals at the airport.
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