BERHAMPUR: Two migratory birds of Chilka Lake, the biggest waterfowl habitat in the country, were seized from a poacher near Balipatapur under Tangi wildlife range by wildlife personnel on Friday.
The poacher, GobindaBehera (50) of Mangalajodi has been arrested.
A dead pintail and a live little grebe were seized. The live little grebe was released to the lake after being treated, said divisional forest officer, Chilka wildlife division BikashRanjan Das. The poacher used the nets to trap the migratory birds. The nets were also seized. Wildlife officials caught Behera with the birds during patrolling in the area, when he was on his way to Mangalajodi, sources said.
This was the third poaching incident in the area over the last 20 days, sources said. While the wildlife officials arrested two poachers at Alipada and Deipur and seized 31 dead birds of various species on November 9, they had booked other two persons at Subhadrapur on November 3 for allegedly hunting the birds in the lake. At least three dead birds were seized from them, sources added.
Sources said around two lakh birds of different species have already descended in the blue lagoon.More number of birds was taking shelter in 15-59-sq.km Nalabana-the bird sanctuary, Bhusandapur and Mangalajodi areas, sources said.
"We have set up 19 temporary camps across the lake. More of them have been set up in Tangi range from where frequent cases of poaching are reported," said DFO. Patrolling has been intensified in and outside the lake. "We have requested the police to help prevent poaching in the lake," he said.
The winged guests from far off places including Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, remote parts of Russia, central and South East Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas were descended in the lake in every winter for feeding and roosting. They start their homeward journey with the onset of summer.
