India, May 26 -- An illegal wildlife trade operation was uncovered in Kangra district following a joint raid by the forest department and a wildlife activist at a pet shop in Rajpur, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh on Monday evening

The operation led to the rescue of 54 protected animals and rare birds, triggering a police hunt for shop owner Anshul Sood, who faces strict charges under the Wildlife Protection Act.

The raid at the shop, Fish World Tank, was sparked by Punjab-based wildlife rescuer Sahil Sharma, who was in the area for a separate python rescue. Sharma noticed three African grey parrots and three macaws on display without the mandatory federal registration and documentation. While documenting these illegal exotic birds, the tea...