New Delhi, Aug 05: A 32-year-old Canadian tourist was apprehended at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi for possessing horns of an unidentified animal in her luggage, according to police reports on Sunday. The woman claimed she “found” the horns during her trek in Ladakh and intended to take them back to Canada.
The tourist was en route to Montreal on Friday when a baggage check revealed suspicious items, prompting officials to inspect her luggage. Delhi’s forest and wildlife department noted that the horns likely belong to a native bull species, but they will be sent to the Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun for confirmation.
The woman explained to officials that she did not purchase the horns but found them during her trek and decided to carry them with her. Although she has not been arrested, she is also not allowed to return to Canada at this time, police stated.
“To possess any wildlife items, special documents are required, which she did not possess. Customs were informed, and the forest department of Delhi was also called in to inspect them,” an airport official said on condition of anonymity. The woman was unable to provide any documents for the horns.
The incident occurred at 9 pm on Friday when the woman was about to board an Air Canada flight to Montreal. After airport security detected the suspicious items during a luggage scan, officials from the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the airline staff, and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) conducted a physical inspection of the bag and recovered two horns.
Rajesh Tandon, deputy range officer (west) of the forest department, stated that the horns could belong to a bull or yak species from Ladakh, but final confirmation will come from FRI.
“This could be an animal listed under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act. The woman told us she found these horns in Ladakh during her recent travels from Delhi. She says she did not buy them but found them while trekking and decided to bring them with her,” Tandon said, adding that the police would further investigate the matter.
Delhi Police at IGI airport confirmed that a first information report had been registered against the woman, and she has been “bound down by law.”
“We have initiated legal action against her under the Wildlife Protection Act, and she will have to appear for a probe as and when required. At present, she is not flying back to Canada,” said a senior police officer, noting that she was not arrested.
Section 39 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act prohibits the possession and transport of trophies of any scheduled species without proper authorization. Wildlife trophies, including animal parts such as skulls or skin, are often kept by trophy hunters as souvenirs.
In a related incident in March, a flier bound for New York was detained at IGI airport after being caught with an antelope skull. The species are protected under Sections 1 and 2 of the Wildlife Act, and a case was registered against the man.
