Representatives of People For Animals (PFA) on Tuesday conducted a raid at Sacred Heart School,Sector 26,and recovered prohibited animals,including turtles,cobra,frogs and lizards,from the biology lab of the school. PFA wildlife officer Saurav Gupta told Chandigarh Newsline the raid was conducted after a tip-off was received by their organisation regarding the possession of these prohibited animals by the school. The officer said the school had violated the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act,2006,which prohibit institutions from preserving these animals in their laboratories for research purposes. A total of 31 jars were recovered. The police have registered a DDR against the school. Since the police have not lodged any case against the school,we could not take the jars containing the animals into our possession. The laboratory has been sealed by the police for the time being, Gupta said. The officials said a possession certificate had been procured by their team from the school management which ascertained that the school had preserved these animals. According to the police,the school has been asked to furnish details about the year of purchase of these animals and jars. We have referred the case to the UT Forest and Wildlife Department. We have obtained an undertaking from the school which will ensure that the school provides the jars to us whenever we ask them to, Inspector Sri Prakash,the Station House Officer of Sector 26,told Chandigarh Newsline. The school authorities,however,contended that the animals were brought to their laboratory before 2006 when the Act came into effect. Also,they had submitted a protest memo against the PFA officials in Sector 26 police station. Certain people,allegedly from the Wildlife Department but who later identified themselves as belonging to PFA,illegally barged into the premises of the school without any authorisation along with the Sub-Inspector from Sector 26 police station, said the school in a communication sent to Chandigarh Newsline.
