1 Held For Poaching In Chilika

Seven carcasses of four bird species were seized from his possession. The birds were suspected to be poisoned near Mangalajodi outer channel under the Tangi range of the Chilika wildlife division.

The carcasses of bird species included a large whistling duck, purple moorhen, pheasant-tailed jacana and common moorhen, an official said.

The man was trying to flee the lake by seeing the anti-poaching staff. They caught him by chasing about 500 metres, Tangi ranger officer Choodarani Murmu said. During the search of his country boat, they found that the carcasses of birds were covered with some fishes, she added.

The wildlife officials have registered ten poaching cases, arrested seven hunters and seized over 70 bird carcasses during the current migrating season, sources said. Chilike lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, has hosted as many as 10,74,173 birds of 183 species this winter.

With PTI inputs.