It was just over a month since forest officials seized 12 peacocks from the old city residence of a pet shop owner and slapped cases against him. Sleuths of the anti- poaching squad could not arrest him then, for violation of the Wildlife Act, 1972, by breeding the national bird in captivity. Any action against him now appears quite unlikely.

The assistant conservator of forests (surveillance cell) Kondal Rao has been sent on deputation to Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, whereas the post of forest range officer (anti-poaching) has been lying vacant for over four months. Deputy forest range officer SK Baba Khadir Vali, who led the raid, has been shifted to forest utilisation office. That leaves only two wildlife associates (temporary posts) to enforce the Wildlife Act.

According to sources in the department, the pet shop owner, SA Sohail, who runs Fur and Feathers in Banjara Hills, also had business partnership with Nehru Zoological Park for supply of exotic birds.

Sohail has, according to officials, supplied exotic birds to the zoo and is learnt to have been breeding peacocks, including two pure white peacocks, in the cellar of his house in Mochi Colony, Kalapathar. It is also learnt that those who raided Sohail’s house had come under fire from their bosses and explanation was sought from some in the form of showcause notice. However, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) AV Joseph was unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts.

Officials, based on a tip off, raided Sohail’s residence on May 11 and could not arrest him since he was in Mumbai then. But cases were registered against him under section 9 and 39 of the Wildlife Act, which would get him imprisonment up to 7 years.

“Sohail has come back and is very much in Hyderabad. It is just that no one in the department is showing any interest in following up the case and arrest the offender,” pointed out an official on condition of anonymity.

The anti-poaching squad has been conducting raids and the seizure of 12 peacocks, listed as schedule-1 protected species, was certainly one of their biggest catch till date. Hunting, petting and breeding of any wildlife species listed in schedule I and II can attract imprisonment of three to seven years.