2 arrested with chameleon in Bhubaneswar

Two people were arrested with a chameleon in Bhubaneswar on Monday, officials said.

Posing as buyers, forest officials nabbed the two persons for allegedly trying to sell the chameleon for Rs 1.50 lakh, they said.

The arrest was made from a park near Vani Vihar in the city, said Manas Ranjan Mohanty, the forest range officer of Bhubaneswar.

Smuggling of chameleons, which is listed under schedule 2 of the Wild Life Protection Act, is illegal.

The accused were identified as Rashmi Ranjan Das and Khiroad Mohanty of Jagatsinghpur district.

''We will be able to state the reason for the high price asked for the chameleon after an investigation,'' Mohanty said.