Poacher arrested with migratory birds

Two migratory birds were seized from a poacher near Balipatapur under Tangi wildlife range by forest guards, an official said today.
The poacher, identified as Gobinda Behera (50), was arrested and a dead pintail and a live little grebe were seized from him yesterday, Divisional Forest Officer, Chilka wildlife division, Bikash Ranjan Das said.
The live little grebe was released to the lake after treatment, he said.
The poacher used nets to trap the migratory birds. The nets were also seized. Forest guards caught Behera with the birds during patrolling in the area, when he was on his way to Mangalajodi, he said.

This was the third poaching incident in the area over the last 20 days, officials said.
They said around two lakh birds of different species had already descended in the blue lagoon. More birds had taken shelter in the Nalabana bird sanctuary.
"We have set up 19 temporary camps across the lake. Most of them have been set up in the Tangi range from where frequent cases of poaching are reported," the DFO said.
The winged guests from far off places lie Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, remote parts of Russia, central and South East Asia, Ladakh and Himalayas descend on the lake every winter for feeding and roosting. They start their homeward journey with the onset of summer.