PANAJI, SEPT 18: Fancy a crocodile for a pet? Or will it be a chital or a spotted deer? Of course there is nothing like a langur or a macaque to keep the blues away. An amnesty offer by the Government of Goa to people possessing wild animals in contravention of wildlife laws has shed light on popular choices for the ideal pets.Of the 49 persons who responded to the forest department's amnesty offer, thirty of them claimed to be owners of exotic pets like crocodiles, porcupines, Rhesus monkeys, deer, tortoises, peacocks, African parrots and the like.The forest department is now inviting information about illegally held animals from the public. ``I think 90 per cent of people owning these animals have applied for amnesty,'' Chief Conservator of Forests Richard D'Souza told The Indian Express. While most of the respondents reported keeping their pets in specially constructed enclosures, some of them admitted leaving animals like monkeys chained and left out in the open.``Animals which have beensubjected to cruelty will be seized by the Forest Department,'' D'Souza said.Releasing animals like monkeys into the wild is hard work for foresters. ``First we have to ensure that monkeys newly released into the wild are accepted by other monkeys,'' D'Souza said. Since this is not an easy task, the forest department may selectively permit caring people to hold on to their simian pets. Incidentally, none of the owners of monkeys and deer are willing to surrender their pets to the government. Only the owners of crocodiles are agreeable to handing over their pets to the authorities. ``Keeping crocodiles is expensive,'' says D'Souza.According to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 holding wildlife captive is punishable by one year in prison and fines ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000.However, certain circuses and tribals are given special permits by the chief wildlife warden of the state allowing them to hold on to certain species of animals.Goa's forest department is hoping that disgruntledneighbours who are unable to put up with someone's pet monkey or porcupine ruining their property would alert its officers to violations of the wildlife laws.
