Almost three months after the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) approached the authorities with respect to the illegal trade and custody of a baby orangutan, the Nagpada police on Saturday registered an offence against two suspects from Madanpura. A video of orangutan in which some persons surrounding and abusing the animal was also recovered from the phone of the suspect, added said Dr Rashmi S Gokhale, Manager of Veterinary Services, PETA India. However, the orangutan's whereabouts are still unknown.
During the preliminary investigation, it has been established that the animal was imported to India illegally. In such cases, a permit from the origin country along with import permit from director-general of foreign trade and approvals from customs and other departments are mandatory, said an official.
"Following the case was reported the two suspects were interrogated by officials of the forest department and the police. One of the suspects had posted videos and photographs of the orangutan and parakeets on Instagram in mid June, the video went viral after which we approached the authorities to investigate the case," said Dr. Rashmi S. Gokhale, Manager of Veterinary Services, PETA India.
The video of orangutan in which some persons surrounding and abusing the animal was also recovered from the phone of the suspect, added Gokhale.
Earlier the PETA Indian has announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to the rescue of the orangutan. The animal needs to be urgently reunited with the animals of the same species or sent back to his native country, said Gokhale. PETA India has urged anyone who knows the whereabouts of the animal to come forward.
