A rare giant flying squirrel was rescued from two men in Arunachal Pradesh's West Kameng district and released into the wild, forest department sources said today.
The Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (petaurista magnificus), a rare species of eastern Himalaya, was rescued from Dirang Basti and released in the forest of Thembang Bapu Community Conservation Area yesterday, said Deputy Conservator of Forest (HQ) Diganta Gogoi.
Tenzin Chogyal, a committee member of Thembang Bapu CCA management committee rescued the animal from two strangers while they were playing with it late last week.
The species is found in the sub-continent from Myanmar to Nepal and is protected as schedule II species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
Giant flying squirrels are unique among mammals as they can glide from tree to tree in sub-tropical and temperate forests.
Some of these species are attractively coloured and Hodgson's giant flying squirrel has a rich rufous and black body colour, a forest official said.
