There are a lot of crazy headlines that come in from India, but this one would hop around the others and beat them flat.
Sample this: Kangaroos, the giant, hopping Australian animals, have been found roaming the streets near Siliguri, a sub-Himalayan town in West Bengal. Last month too, emaciated Kangaroos were found in the area, and before that, they were recovered at the Assam-Bengal border. Emaciated, injured, and looking like they hadn't eaten in days, three kangaroos were sent to an animal park. One had already died. Authorities say this suggests a pet or zoo smuggling racket.
The Indian Rose-ringed parakeet is a pest in the United Kingdom. (Photographer: Neha Sinha)
In a particularly gruesome incident, Australia recently shot thousands of alien Asian camels following water shortages and bush fires.
It seems strange that a bit of Australian wildlife has now ended up in India, through means that are still unclear. I wonder if they came through the border in East India and whether there are still malnourished marsupials in the wild hopping about. Hopefully, the wildlife trafficking stops now – and a new, pragmatic law catches up.
Neha Sinha is a conservation biologist, and the author of ‘Wild and Wilful - Tales of 15 iconic Indian species'.
The views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views of BQ Prime or its editorial team.
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