A man from Arni village in Thiruvannamalai district was apprehended by an undercover squad of the Tamil Nadu wildlife conservation wing on Wednesday for selling tiger cubs to interested parties. D Parthiban, who allegedly priced tiger cubs at Rs 25 lakh each, has been detained on suspicion of engaging in illegal trade and deceiving the public.
Following the arrest of a man in Chennai’s Ambattur, the wildlife protection unit began to pay attention to Parthiban. Three weeks ago, he was detained for selling star tortoises at his pet shop. Officials from the forest department investigated his laptop, phone, and other properties throughout the investigation, which led them to Parthibhan’s WhatsApp status.
He had announced that tiger cubs were for sale alongside pictures of them on World Tiger Day. A report stated that the undercover squad was soon dispatched to find the individual.
According to the reports, it took the team a month to track down Parthiban, who allegedly promised to bring the cubs from the adjacent state of Andhra Pradesh. The development has been communicated to the AP Forest Department.
The possibility that Parthibhan is nothing more than a con artist has not been completely discounted by the authorities, either. He most likely made up the “baby tiger” tale to get buyers to pay. Officials said that it is impossible to smuggle protected animals out of the forest ranges.
According to state wildlife board member and Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary employee Shravan Krishnan, these people ought to be punished for unknowingly supporting the illegal trade.