Kangaroos in the street and a suitcase of iguanas: India’s exotic pet problem

Forest officials in West Bengal rescued three kangaroos, allegedly being smuggled to Nepal. One later died. Photograph: Courtesy Belakoba Forest Range Office

From the red-eared slider turtle, cockatoo and falcon to the yellow-cheeked gibbon, capuchin monkey and orangutan, nothing is too much for those demanding unusual pets in India. But it was the sight of three kangaroos wandering the streets of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district in April that brought home the extent of the country’s exotic pet trade.

The malnourished kangaroos were intercepted after tipoffs from local residents. One of the rescued marsupials later died, while the remaining two are recovering and will be rehomed at a nearby zoo.