Siddharthnagar: Three Porcupines Rescued from Illegal Confinement, Man Arrested, Following PETA India Complaint
Acting on videos that appeared on social media showing three Indian porcupines (Hystrix indica), a species protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972, being unlawfully possessed and abused, PETA India worked with the Siddharthnagar Forest Division of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to register a preliminary offence report (POR) and get the porcupines seized.
PETA India had received multiple videos from concerned members of the public showing Mr Monu Kumar, a resident of Siddharthnagar, allegedly confining and exploiting porcupines for entertainment and content creation. The footage also shows a woman and two children, with the children close to the wild animals, posing significant risks to their safety from the animals’ spikes.
The POR was registered under sections 2, 9, 39, and 51 of the WPA, 1972, against the illegal custodian, Mr Monu Kumar. The accused has been apprehended, and the porcupines have been rescued. After a medical examination, the animals will be sent to the Gorakhpur Zoo for rehabilitation. Any offence against species protected under Schedule I of the WPA, 1972 is punishable with a jail term of at least three years, which may extend to seven years, and a fine of at least ₹25,000.
Indian porcupines are hunted for meat, and their quills are used in traditional medicines, ornaments, and good luck charms.
