According to the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act- 2012, the capped langur is a protected species.
In a relieving turn of events for wildlife lovers, a team of Forest Department officials has rescued 12 endangered capped langurs found caged at a house in Moheshkhali Upazila (sub-district) of Bangladesh’s most popular tourist district, Cox’s Bazar.
A gang of smugglers has been capturing langurs from the Moheshkhali forest and trafficking them. however, nobody was arrested over the latest incident.
According to the Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act- 2012, the capped langur is a protected species.
The team received information from a confidential source that some individuals had captured endangered capped langurs from the Bariachhari hill forest and were holding them captive in a nearby house at the Shaplapur area of the upazila, said SM Enamul Hoque, officer of the Moheshkhali Forest Range.
“Tipped-off, we conducted a raid around 2:30pm and discovered 12 capped langurs in six cages, including five baby langurs and seven adults on today (November 7, 2024),” he told the media.
The langurs were rescued and later released into the forest as per the instructions from the divisional forest officer, Hoque added.
“We are investigating and working to track down the smugglers,” he said, vowing to file a case once the culprits are identified.
SM Rubel, team leader of the environmental organisation Youth for Ecology Conservation, said that langurs are frequently captured from hilly regions and smuggled across the country.
“If the traffickers are not apprehended and held accountable, these rescue operations will have limited impact. The Forest Department should intensify its efforts in this regard,” he added.
