Tamil Nadu   

Poacher caught in the act

Staff Reporter

Bird listed under protected species of Wildlife Act: officials

TAMBARAM : A 26-year-old man has been detained on charges of shooting down a protected species of stork near Vandalur on Thursday morning. Forest Department officials said that following a tip off about the hunting of birds in water bodies near Vandalur, particularly on the fringes of Arignar Anna Zoological Park, a team launched early morning checks on Thursday.

The team caught the man shooting an `Openbill Stork' (Anastomus Oscitans) with pellets from a country-made rifle, officials said.

The bird is listed under the "Protected Species" of The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They said though the Openbill Stark was found all over the Indian sub-continent, a large number of such birds migrated from Burma and Bangladesh, signalling the arrival of other migratory birds. Officials said the meat of such rare birds was sold clandestinely or consumed by the poachers themselves. The Openbill Stark is about a foot and a half tall, with a wingspan of three feet. It feeds on snails, frogs, crabs and insects and is always seen near water bodies and marshy areas.

Officials said J. Vijayan, had been booked under provisions of Section 50 of The Wildlife (Protection) Act.

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