A resident of Castle Mill spotted a man in a boat in the middle of the lake shooting the birds. The resident immediately contacted the NGO Animal and Plants Welfare Trust.

"We received a call at 2.45pm and reached the spot within 15 minutes. We spotted a man outside the watchman's cabin. On seeing us he fled from the scene. Even though we could not trace him, we found the dead birds near the lake. The air gun was hidden in the cabin of the watchman, who was fast asleep at the time of the incident," said YamanTatre, a member of the NGO.

The NGO then called the forest department and Rabodi police, who then registered a case against the accused under the Wildlife protection Act. According to environmentalists these birds are commonly found in fresh water bodies. They feed on fresh water fish and are often hunted for their meat by locals.

"There is a lot of demand for exotic or unique white meat. So the incidents of poaching are on the rise," said Pawan Sharma, founder of Wildlife NGO RAWW. This is the second such incident this year. Two flamingos were shot dead in February.