The Forest Department's Wildlife Crime Control Unit has rescued two slow lorises, an endangered species, while they were being trafficked in Haluaghat, Mymensingh. No one could be arrested as the traffickers fled.

The two animals were rescued in a raid at the bus stand area on the Haluaghat-Mymensingh regional highway on the afternoon of Friday, 21 August. The operation was led by Asim Mallick, a forest inspector with the unit.

According to the Forest Department, a team from the unit took up position at the bus stand on information that two wild animals were being smuggled on a passenger bus along the Haluaghat-Mymensingh road.

Sensing the team's presence, the traffickers dumped the two lorises, which were in a market bag, in front of an abandoned house beside the bus stand and fled. With help from local people, the bag was recovered and the two lorises were found alive inside.

Asim Mallick told Jagonews24 that catching, trafficking or buying and selling wildlife is a punishable offence. Because Haluaghat is a border area, surveillance has been stepped up there to prevent wildlife trafficking, he said.

Sources said steps would be taken to release the two lorises into a safe environment once the legal process is complete.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.