On Thursday, forest officials in Payyannur, Kerala, arrested five men for having a protected snake called the two-toed sand boa (Eryx johnii) without permission. This snake is protected by law, which means you can’t catch or sell it.
The men arrested were: Pradeepan (49), Bhikesh (39), Manoj (30), all from Trikaripur in Kannur, and T Naveen (35) and K Chandrasekharan (37) from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. They were caught after officials received a tip-off about their illegal activity.
A team led by Sanoop Krishnan, the Taliparamba Forest Range Officer, carried out the operation and took away a car and a scooter they were using. The snakes were reportedly brought from Andhra Pradesh to sell in Kannur. The forest department has filed a case against them, and an investigation is ongoing.
Earlier in March, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also arrested two men who had 65 turtles, including Indian Roofed Turtles and Spotted Pond Turtles. These turtles are also protected by wildlife laws.
The CBI stated that they found a total of 50 Indian Roofed Turtles and 15 Spotted Pond Turtles. Since these are live animals, they were sent to the Delhi Zoo for safe care.
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