Siliguri corridor is now conduit for live animal smuggling

SILIGURI: After items like antiques, narcotics, sandalwood or animal body parts, now it is the turn of live animals like snakes. Recent recovery of a reptile from Siliguri in northern part of West Bengal while being smuggled has proved that the infamous Siliguri corridor has become a preferred conduit for the international illegal traders of these animals. Destination is suspected to be China or Western world.

As the latest incident, working on tip off- West Bengal Forest Department Baikuthapur Division officials have recovered a snake of Red Sand Boa type, scientifically known as Eryx jhonnii from Siliguri on Sunday. Two persons have been nabbed in charge of smuggling the snake- informed Divisional Forest Officer Mr. D D Rai.

“It is being found to be a common trend to smuggle wild animals to China through Nepal and Bhutan,” said Mr. Rai.

As the record goes, recovery of Pangolin scales, Tiger skins, Elephant tusks or animal bones is a common feature from places along infamous Siliguri Corridor, 120 km stretch of NH31, that traverses north Bengal with Assam in East and Bihar in West. Close vicinity of Bangladesh in south and open borders of Nepal or Bhutan in West or North give easy passage to operatives through the corridor beyond reach of Indian security agencies. But smuggling of live animal is not something frequent here though live elephant was recovered from this route while being smuggled earlier.

The supply lines to the corridor run from biodiversity reach deep north eastern Indian Jungle areas or North Bengal foothills that hosts more than 6 reserve forests and many unreserved ones. The corridor reaches international underground trade hubs mostly via Panitanki-Kakarvita Indo-Nepal border near Naxalbari in India.

Though the forest officials suspected China as the destination of the recovered snake, Herpetologists (experts in reptiles) pointed towards a different angle. “The Indian Sand Boa is a non poisonous snake.

So, its being smuggled for venom extraction does not stand. As a matter of fact, it is becoming increasingly popular as pet in the United States. They stay small and are very docile. Its babies are very attractive and big enough to take small mice. As the supply of captive born babies is limited, keeping or breeding this species is a highly profitable business now,” they informed.