10 months ago
Critically Endangered Primate Escapes Customs Custody at Kolkata Airport
Imagine a very rare and special monkey, so rare it's called 'critically endangered,' was being brought on a plane to Kolkata from another country.
When the people who check bags opened the box it was in to look at it, the little monkey got scared and ran away!
It disappeared somewhere inside the airport.
This monkey is not supposed to be bought or sold because it's so special and needs to be protected in its home country.
The airport is looking everywhere for it using cameras, but they haven't found it yet.
The other monkey that was with it has been sent back to where it came from.
One of two critically endangered black-shanked doucs escaped from customs custody at Kolkata airport on Monday.
The primates were being smuggled from Bangkok hidden in a trolley bag on Thai Airways flight TG-313.
The douc escaped around 3 am when customs officials opened the baskets for inspection in the international arrival lounge.
Despite reviewing CCTV footage from 800 cameras, officials have been unable to locate the primate.
The second douc has been returned to Thailand.
- Who
- One critically endangered black-shanked douc
- What
- Escaped from customs custody at an airport
- Where
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Kolkata
- When
- Monday, November 3
- Why
- The douc was being smuggled and escaped when officials opened its basket for inspection.
Customs Officials
Primate's Condition
Escape and Search Efforts
Customs Officials
Customs officials stated they scanned 800 CCTV cameras twice but could not locate the escaped douc.
Primate's Condition
The primate managed to slip out of its basket and disappear within the international arrival lounge.
Key facts
- Species
- Black-shanked douc
- Conservation Status
- Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List)
- Origin
- Eastern Cambodia and Southern Vietnam
- Flight Information
- Thai Airways flight TG-313 from Bangkok
- Airport
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Kolkata
- Date of Incident
- Monday, November 3
Quotes
an airport official
an unnamed official at NSCBI Airport
“We have scanned the CCTV footage of 800 cameras twice but have been unable to spot it.”
telegraphindia.com



