On March 26, a couple arriving from Thailand was arrested with 88 live animals brought into the Bandaranaike International Airport.

The animals included frogs, salamanders, hedgehogs, rats, lizards, turtles, hamsters and a rare kind of worm. In December 2023, a consignment of 330 birds from Suriname (a small country on the northeastern coast of South America) arrived at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport via a charter plane. However, in this case, the importer had allegedly not possessed the necessary documentation including the licence and permits prior to engaging in the import business. But to make matters more complicated, even though Sri Lanka Customs has confiscated the consignment, the Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) has allegedly released the birds back to the importer/suspect to be kept at his privately owned quarantine facility; which critics opine is a decision made while breaching the law. In this backdrop, speculation is rife whether Sri Lanka has already become a hub for illegal wildlife trade.

To read full story visit: https://www.dailymirror.lk/print/news-features/Has-Sri-Lanka-become-a-potential-hub-for-the-illegal-wildlife-trade/131-280076
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