KATHMANDU, APRIL 6
Police arrested three persons, each with five musk pods and bear gallbladders from Manohara Nayabasti, Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, yesterday.
A special team deployed from Metropolitan Police Crime Division to prevent, control and investigate wildlife crime had carried out the operation, leading to their arrest with a huge cache of body parts of endangered wild animals.
Chhatra Bahadur Bega, 47, of Bhaktapur, Gopal Budha Chhetri, 18, of Jumla and Lokendra Bega, 46, of Panchthar were taken into police custody.
Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad Koirala said it was one of the single biggest seizures of musk pods and bear gallbladders and officials were trying to crack the racket of network of poachers and wildlife body part traders. "Police swung up into action acting on a tip-off about clandestine trading in musk pods and gallbladders," he informed.
All musk deer and bear species have been included in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora since 1979.
The poachers had killed five bears and musk deer each to harvest as many gallbladders and pods. The purported high value of musk is often attributed to the illegal hunting of musk deer. Only male musk deer produce musk at the rate of about 25 gram per animal, according to various studies. Musk is used as an ingredient in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine to prepare sedatives and stimulants, and as perfume. Similarly, bear gallbladder is believed to break down gallstones.
Officials said many wildlife parts, including musk pods, are smuggled into China. Wildlife body parts are usually sold and purchased through negotiation.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 7, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
