Joda: Acting on a tipoff, Forest department officials here nabbed a youth from Jharkhand and rescued eight parrots of an endangered species from his possession. The youth was selling the birds near the main bus stand in the town of Keonjhar district. As selling of birds of any endangered species is illegal, Forest Department officials arrested him. The accused was identified as Raja Alam, a resident of Ranchi.
A case was registered in this connection and the accused was produced in court. The breakthrough in the case came after Champua ACF Akshaya Kumar Chhatria was tipped off and he directed Forest department officials to conduct a raid and nab the accused. Joda forester Trinath Jena said that the seized parrots belong to the ‘Rose-Ringed Parakeet’ species which is on the verge of extinction. Raja was living at a rented house here and was illegally trading in various wildlife and birds for which his activities were under scanner for a long time. Further investigation will be conducted to ascertain the reach and extent of this illegal trade, the official added.