YouTuber Couple Absconds After Forest Officials Raid For Domesticating Langurs In Odisha’s Jajpur

Jajpur: The Forest department has initiated steps against a YouTuber couple for allegedly domesticating Langurs (a species of monkeys) and sharing their videos on social media platforms in Odisha’s Jajpur district.

According to sources, a team of Forest personnel, led by ranger Jyoti Ranjan Mohapatra, conducted raid on the house of Badrinarayan Bhadra and his wife Monalisa Bhadra at Jahala under Sadar police limits in the district. But the couple absconded before the arrival of the Forest officials.

Speaking to media persons, the ranger said taking selfie with wild animals and posting them on social media platforms is a criminal offence as it violates Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Both Badrinarayan and Monalisa had been warned against domesticating the wild animals and posting the photos and videos taken with them. “The couple had given a written undertaking in 2022 to refrain from such activities. As they did not refrain from posting the pictures, we had to take action against them,” Mohapatra said.

After failing to get the couple, the Forest department has registered a case and started further investigation, the sources said.

Earlier in the day, the Wildlife Wing of the Forest department arrested Mirza Md Arif, a YouTuber from Bhadrak, for allegedly possessing two snakes and sharing the rescue videos of the reptile on internet.

Also Read: Odisha YouTuber Held For Keeping Snakes Illegally & Posting Rescue Videos