Guwahati: In a significant blow to transnational wildlife trafficking, a joint task force in Assam’s Chirang district has rescued eight endangered golden langurs and arrested nine suspected smugglers, including a Bangladeshi national.
Acting on precise intelligence, the Assam Police Special Task Force (STF) and local officers intercepted two vehicles along Bamungaon Road in Sidli. Investigators revealed that the primates had been illegally captured from the Ultapani forest area in Kokrajhar. The syndicate intended to smuggle them into West Bengal, with the ultimate destination being the international black market via Bangladesh.
The conditions of transit were severe, with the primates tightly packed into suffocating sacks. Tragically, one langur succumbed to stress and suffocation during the ordeal. The seven surviving primates are currently recovering under the care of the Forest Department and will be released back into the wild once stabilised.
Alongside the Bangladeshi national, the arrested individuals include five residents of West Bengal and three local handlers from Assam. Golden langurs (Trachypithecus geei) are endemic to western Assam and Bhutan and are strictly protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, facing severe threats from poaching and habitat fragmentation.