Chennai Customs Seize Five Exotic Animals Hidden In Check-In Baggage

Common dwarf mongoose.

New Delhi: Five exotic animals smuggled from Bangkok in check-in baggage were seized by Chennai Customs officers on Sunday. Among them are a dwarf mongoose and common spotted cuscus concealed in bags.

Customs officials seized them from a passenger who arrived from Bangkok, and deported them to Thailand. The passenger has been arrested, NDTV reported.

The common dwarf mongoose is a mongoose species native to Angola, northern Namibia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Zambia and East Africa. It has soft fur ranging from yellowish red to very dark brown, a large pointed head, small ears, a long tail, short limbs, and long claws.

The common spotted cuscus, also known as the white cuscus, is a cuscus that lives in the Cape York region of Australia, New Guinea, and nearby smaller islands. It is about the size of a common house cat and has a round head, small hidden ears, thick fur, and a prehensile tail to aid in climbing. Its eyes range in colour from yellows and oranges to reds, and are slit much like a snake’s, the report added.