Assam: Forest department rescues three civet cats in Nagaon district

Assam Forest Department on December 4 rescued three civet cats in the state's Nagaon district.

As per reports, the three civet cats were rescued from Kathia-ati village in Samaguri in the Nagaon district of Assam after a woman spotted them.

The woman saw these cats in a forest near the village in Nagaon following which she informed the forest department.

There have been speculations that these three cats had come out of the forest in search of food.

Later, the civet cats were handed over to the officials of the Centre for Wildlife Rescue and Conservation (CWRC) of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam.

On October 19, forest officials in Cachar, Assam had rescued 13 exotic animals, caged in three boxes in a tea garden.

The animals suspected to have been smuggled include Moor macaques and guenon.

Speaking to the media, Cachar divisional forest officer (DFO) Tejas Mariswami said that the animals were not native to India, so they must have been smuggled from across the border.

The forest official who rescued them said that locals initially found them in the Derby tea garden and informed the forest department.

A total of 13 primates were collected and caged in three different boxes from the tea garden manager’s bungalow and the primates are now being transported to the Guwahati zoo. 

Over 140 different smuggled animals were rescued in Mizoram last week and in the past, Assam police officers have detained a number of traffickers and saved rescued rare creatures, including birds and reptiles.

Notably, along with the seized animals, 3 persons identified as Lalremruata (38), Tinkhuma (38), and  E.Lalmuanpuia (29) were arrested.

The police officials also seized three vehicles- 2 Bolero and 1 Scorpio from the spot.

The rescued wild animals include – 30 tortoises, 2 monkeys, 2 Marmoset monkeys, 22 Pythons, 18 Sumatran Water Monitor, 55 crocodiles (hatchlings), 4 Flame power birds, 4 Servel cats, and one Albino Wallaby.

The rescued animals were handed over to Custom Preventive Force, Champhai while further investigation is on.