Using pet animals as a window business, the pet shops at the city's Katabon area are working as one of the main points for Illegal trade In wildlife.

These shops. 17 in number and operating without any licence. have a wide network across the country to procure wild animals and birds.

Some of these wildlife are enlisted in the 'red book' or endangered species as labelled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are also protected by the Bangladesh wildlife (Preservation) (Amendment) act. 1974.

The law prescribes a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year imprison-

ment and also a maximum line of Tk 1.000 for anyone buying, selling or possessing the pro-tectedspecies.

In the last three months alone, wild animals including slow loris. Ospreys (fish eating

Eagle), pythons and other snakes, civets, bears, baby crocodiles, green pigeons, pahari mynas, rhesus monkeys and langurs have been sold through these shops, according to an investigation by The Dally Star.

One of the shops, Zen had pu-ton sale a large civet which was photographed by The Daily Star. The animal was later removed to an unknown place.

The lucrative Illegal business thrives under the alleged support of a section of Forest Department officials who deliberately 'overlook' the trade.

There is no effective wing of the department to check the illegal trade. "All we do is conduct seasonal raids on vendors of guest of birds in the city," said a divisional forest official in its Mahakhali office.

He said that the forest rangers, in addition to their other duties, are supposed to crack down on these irregulari-

ties involving wildlife.

"Firstly, there is hardly any awareness among the officials and secondly the department is desperately short ol manpower and resources." said the official.

The Daily Star correspondents had been in contact with the traders in guise of customers and made a number of fictitious deals. The traders had offered the correspondents a leopard for Tk three lakh. They demanded Tk 50,000 in advance, and the rest at the time of delivery within one month.

A veterinary doctor of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) had offered to sell a bear for Tk 30,000 to these correspondents. He claimed that he nad sold bears in the past, and there would not be "any problem regarding obtaining papers to keep the bear."

One can buy a langur caught from Sylhet for Tk 2,000. a large cevit for Tk 2,500, a bear for Tk 30.000, a baby jackal for Tk 500 or a one-foot long baby crocodile for only Tk 500.

The Katabon traders said they had "parties" all over the country who. on order, procured the animals. "We can even give you a permission to keep these animals in your possession." said one.

When asked whether he could help smuggle out animals, he replied in the affirmative and said, "no problem, so many birds and animals are being smuggled out.”

Minister for Environment Sajeda Chowdhury told The Daily Star that lack of man-rar of the Forest Department fecting the monitoring of wildlife trade.

She said a plan has been chalked out to Increase fieldlevel manpower of the department which will be soon placed before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.

"We already have an application for permission to export lizard skin." said Chowdhury. "We have not yet given any permission to the applicant because we want to verify on the spot whether lizards are really being reared and bred."