Eight migratory birds poached in Chilika

Times of India , Sunday, December 19, 2010
Correspondent : PTI

BERHAMPORE (Orissa): At least eight migratory birds of different species have been poached by two persons in the famous Chilika lake area, wildlife officials said.

The poachers -- Dusmanta Pradhan and Kalu Pradhan -- were caught red handed by wildlife personnel on duty near the sprawling lake while they were returning after killing the birds yesterday.

Police said one living bird was rescued from them. "We have also seized from them some pesticides which they used for killing the birds", said B P Acharya, Divisional forest officer (Chilika wildlife division).

This was the third poaching case reported from the lake this season.

The poachers kill the migratory birds, visit in lakhs in search of food to the blue lagoon in winter, to sell their meat in places like Bhubaneswar, Balugaon, Berhampur, Puri and Khurda.

The poachers generally target 'pintails', 'moorhens' and 'gadwalls' birds as their meat is in high demand in hotels in these towns, an wildlife activist said.

The DFO, however, said poaching activities in the lake had been drastically reduced through intensive patrolling.

Over three lakh migratory birds of different species have already come to Chilika with most of them visiting the 59.65 sq km Nalabana bird sanctuary area inside the lake, wildlife sources said.

Besides Nalabana, migratory birds have also descended at different parts of the blue lagoon including Sorana, Mangalajodi, Kalupadaghata, Rambha and Kalijai areas.

The winged guests have started coming to Chilika lake from far off places like Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Russia, central and south East Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas from mid-October and remain there till early March, the sources said.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Eight-migratory-birds-poached-in-Chilika/articleshow/7128034.cms
 


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