Come Christmas and New Year, the bird poachers wait patiently for this time to earn a fast buck by selling the meat of the migratory birds to the tourists after trapping the winged guests slyly in and outside the Bhitarkanika National Park.

The main factor that is worrying ornithologists and wildlife experts is that whereas earlier 22 species of wild ducks and geese frequented at Bhitarakanika, now the number has drastically reduced to a mere 14 species due to birds poaching. The notable species that no longer frequent the Bhitarakanika are common shell duck, pink-footed geese, white-headed stiff tail, tufted duck to name a few, said reliable sources.

Poachers trap birds, by spreading nets on the paddy fields near Bhitarakanika when the birds descend to eat ripe paddy on the fields.

The national park has made rare migratory birds go looking for other water sources, mostly unprotected. As a result, these birds are becoming food for the hunters, informed the forest officials.

As per the past records, migratory birds are being trapped both upstream and down stream in the park areas. Several migratory birds are killed for food purpose too, said forest official sources.

According to reliable sources, the poachers shoot the birds down either in the early morning or at nightfall. In order to trap the feathered species, the poachers have also spread bird feed, net, laced with drugs. Later, they kill the migratory birds and sell it to the hotels and bungalows of nearby districts or in the markets of Paradip, Mahakalpada, Rajanagar, Rajakanika and other nearby places, informed a bird poacher of Gupti area by not disclosing his name.

According to Ranjan Rout (name changed) a poacher of Gupti area, he and his mates have evolved an easy way to catch the birds as they are going to the river inlets, creeks and nullahs of Bhitarkanika in order to catch fish with taking all the equipment with them. They spread fishing nets in the area slyly at night in the sanctuary, which serves the dual purpose of catching both birds and fish. As there is no firing, the people don’t come to know about the bird catch.

According to Duryodhan (name changed) a poacher of Batighar, the price of each endangered migratory birds in the black market varies from Rs 300-400. He added that he captures the birds with nets in the dense forest of Bhitarkanika and sent them to the hotels at Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Paradip and Bhadrak. Thousands of migratory birds, which throng into the Bhitarkanika National Park, have fallen prey to poachers, despite tight patrolling all over the park.

When contacted, DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division Manoj Kumar Mohapatra informed that as the December 25 and New Year is only a week remained, so keeping in mind that the migratory birds might fall prey on the hands of poachers, he has alerted all his range officials and the senior officials to remain vigilant to curtail possible bird poaching by the poachers in the sanctuary area on the eve of the Christmas and New Year.