Berhampur: Poachers are on prowl in Chilika, the largest coastal lagoon in the country and the second largest brackish water lagoon in the world. They are mostly targeting migratory birds in the area.
Five persons were arrested recently from the lake area and at least 64 carcasses of migratory birds seized from them, a forest official said.
The forest staff were patrolling near Sorana in Kuda-I area in the vicinity of Chilika Lake Saturday when a motorboat tried to speed away.
When the patrolling staff intercepted the boat, five persons attacked them with sharp-edged weapons in which four forest personnel were injured, said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Chilka Wildlife Division, Alok Ranjan Hota.
Despite injuries, they managed to overpower the attackers and arrested five of them while five others managed to escape from the spot, he said.
The wildlife personnel also seized the motorboat, an airgun, 500 cartridges, gunpowder and a knife from the arrested persons, the DFO said.
The carcasses were those of Northern Pintails, Large Whistling Teal, Rails, Marsh Birds and Jacana, he said.
An FIR was registered against the poachers in Tangi police station for attacking the forest staff, Hota said.
With this, wildlife personnel have registered six cases against poachers in less than a month. As many as nine poachers, including two fishermen, have been arrested during the period, he said. Wildlife personnel had arrested two poachers November 27 from the Chilika area and recovered carcasses of 13 migratory birds, belonging to different species, from their possession.
Birds, mostly from northern Eurasia, Caspian region, Siberia, Kazakh, Lake Baikal and remote areas of Russia, visit Chilika every winter. Though the arrival of migratory birds has added to the charm of Chilika during winter, rampant poaching of the winged guests is a big concern among bird lovers.
PNN