Baby eagle-owl rescued from smugglers

The Times of India , Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Correspondent : TNN
Agra: Timely action by a nature photographer and the Wildlife SOS helped save a young owl at Patholi village on Monday. The bird had fallen from its nest and was held captive by a group of men. The smugglers had trimmed off the owl's talons from its right foot with the intention of trading it the illegal market. The bird was sent to the Wildlife SOS rescue facility for treatment.

Ankush Dave, an amateur photographer, was out on a morning stroll when he spied on a group of men carrying a bag containing the owlet and tipped off the Wildlife SOS about it. A two-member team was dispatched to the site but the men refused to hand over the bird. It was only after the district magistrate was alerted that they surrendered the owlet.

Dave said, "I have been observing owls in the village for months and have been keeping a close eye on newborns. I saw a group of suspicious looking men roaming around with a bag in hand and decided to question them. They confessed to have taken the owl and I immediately contacted Wildlife SOS."

Sakir, a member of the Wildlife SOS rescue unit, said, "When we arrived at the village we spotted the men outside a shop. They refused to hand over the bird in spite of us warning them that it was an illegal act and they would be handed over to the police. It was only after alerting the district magistrate that they gave the bird to us."

KartickSatyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS and head of the organisation's anti-poaching unit, said, "Such incidents confirm that wildlife trade goes on right under our noses. In India, owls are poached for their body parts such as talons, skulls, bones and blood due to religious beliefs and superstitious myths tied to them. Hunting and trading of Indian owl species is banned under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972."

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/Baby-eagle-owl-rescued-from-smugglers/articleshow/51399231.cms
 


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