Hippo ivory tusk seized from smugglers for the first time in Karnataka

Bhatkal, 26 August 2020 [Fik/News Sources]: In a first of its kind seizure, the Karnataka Forest Department on Monday recovered hippopotamus ivory and nine teeth from three men who had reportedly attempted to sell them thinking they were elephant tusks. Shivamogga Forest Mobile Squad led by Deputy Conservator of Forest Balachandra, who posed as illegal buyers of animal artifacts based on a tipoff, reached Sorab and made the seizure. 

Three men— Mujafar, 19, from Bhatkal, Zaheer Khan, 24, from Banavara and Mohammed Danish, 34, from Sorab have been arrested, reported  The Times of India (ToI). They have been sent to judicial custody after being booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The New Indian Express (TNIE) reported that while Muzaffar was working in a garment store in Bengaluru, Zahid was a dealer of electronic goods in Sorab while Danish was working in a Bengaluru pest control agency. The TNIE report said Zahid had previously served a sentence in jail after being booked for a narcotics crime.

The report said the seizure of the hippo tusk has left the department baffled and now the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Wildlife Institute of India will be called in to probe the case. 

A source told TNIE that they have some leads and are working towards nabbing the kingpin of this racket.

A car, motorcycle and currency counting machine in possession of the accused were also seized.

The development is novel as hippos are not found in natural habitats in India but only in zoos and other enclosed spaces.

The probe team got in touch with the accused via WhatsApp and offered to pay a high price for the contraband and said the accused were talking about the hippo tusks as elephant tusks, an investigating officer told ToI.

The accused claimed that an unidentified woman handed them the animal remains in exchange for a high sum of money.