Navi Mumbai: Two lemurs smuggled from Tanzania in two flyers’ baggage were rescued at Mumbai airport on Monday. Customs officials and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau arrested the passengers. The lemurs were medically examined and sent back in 24 hours.Provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, have been invoked. Pawan Sharma of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), an NGO which assisted with the animals’ safekeeping, said they were smuggled on an Ethiopian Airways flight. The two were among a growing list of trafficked ‘exotic animals’ rescued at Mumbai airport in recent times. Sunish Subramanian Kunju, honorary wildlife warden and founder of Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), Mumbai, said Chennai airport used to be traffickers’ preferred choice for entry into India but they changed tack and turned to the Mumbai around five years ago after air intelligence units in south India tightened vigilance. Numbers attest to the crisis: In 2025, 900 such animals were seized at Mumbai airport and 29 from Bangkok, including melanistic squirrels, ball pythons and iguana, were rescued last month alone. Of the 900, over 80 were found dead. “They are packed in bags with poor ventilation. Many die due to asphyxiation or shock,” said Sharma. Experts said a rising demand for ‘trophy pets’ has boosted the trafficking trade in India. Macaws can go for Rs 2 lakh, while anacondas and ball pythons command much higher rates. Kunju said flyers caught with such animals are often mere mules and a crackdown on masterminds as well as buyers can help curtail trafficking.
