Amid Independence Day Celebrations, Gujarat Poachers Use Kites To Snag Nalsarovar Birds

Poachers around Nalsarovar have struck upon a new modus operandi: With forest officials being on the lookout for nets, they are now using kites to snag and injure Nalsarovar¡¯s winged visitors, and then sell or eat them.

¡°This is new for Nalsarovar, where poachers used nets in the past. Killing of birds using kite strings has been reported from Saurashtra, especially to bring down cranes, but this was not known in Nalsarovar area,¡± said a senior officer of the forest department.

Forest officials said that after frequent kite flying (which usually takes place around Uttarayan) was observed in Dharji village, inquiry revealed that kites were being flown to snag birds. After gathering sure details, range forest officer, Dr Bhavesh Patel, raided the area with his team on Wednesday and found four persons engaged in poaching.

toi

Officials said the poachers fled on seeing the forest department team, but one Vahanbhai Kamsubhai, who is a resident of Dharji, was apprehended.

The foresters saved three greater flamingos and one purple moorhen. Two other birds including a greater flamingo and a painted stork were found critically injured and were sent to the rescue centre at Van Chetana in Ahmedabad.

SJ Pandit, deputy conservator of forests, said, ¡°Their modus operandi involved flying multiple kites with sharp strings, while one of them would scare the birds to take off. During flight the birds got snagged in the kite strings and were injured. The poachers then collected the injured birds and used to eat them.¡±

afp/representational image

In the past birds were shooed and caught in nets tied to the banks of the lake. Chief conservator of forest, Mahesh Singh, said, ¡°We are concerned with poaching in the only Ramsar site in the state and have asked the home department to sanction a permanent SRP company for patrolling.¡±

Singh added, ¡°Our division covers Ahmedabad and Surendranagar districts and the size of the territory calls for additional forces, if it is to be properly monitored.¡±x