Rs 20,000 reward announced as rare Pesquet’s Parrot goes missing from Aizawl Zoo

Aizawl, Oct 31: A smuggled exotic bird that had been kept at the Aizawl Zoo, has been stolen, zoo authorities said on Wednesday.

The missing bird, a Pesquet’s Parrot, had been at the zoo since February last year. Its disappearance was discovered around 8.30 am on October 29. Officials believe that the theft occurred some time between 4 pm on October 28 and 7 am the next day.

The Deputy Conservator of Forests, Aizawl Wildlife Division, said that an FIR has been lodged at the Sairang Police Station in connection with the incident, while the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Kolkata, has also been informed.

Officials said a departmental inquiry is under way, as the possibility of insider involvement cannot be ruled out. A cash reward of Rs 20,000 has been announced for anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the culprit.

Mizoram has increasingly become a conduit not just for drugs and arms but also for the trafficking of exotic animals. Situated along a porous border with Myanmar, the State has seen multiple large-scale seizures of illegal wildlife consignments.

In October 2022, authorities in Champhai district rescued 140 exotic animals and birds, including 30 tortoises, 22 pythons, 55 crocodile hatchlings and other rare species. The consignment was believed to have come from Myanmar via the border.

In May 2024, a vehicle was intercepted at a checkpoint in Kanhmun region and 24 exotic animals (18 snakes, four turtles and two monkeys) bound for Tripura were found, underlining the ongoing use of the corridor for wildlife trafficking.

In April 2025, six persons, including a Myanmar national, were arrested in Champhai district after 31 exotic animals, including 27 African spurred tortoises and a rare albino Burmese python, were rescued.

By Correspondent