Chilika: Despite several precautions, warning and anti-poaching measures taken by the wildlife department, hunting of migratory birds continues unabated by poachers in Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest blue lagoon, reports said.
The poachers are violating the laws in force in the lake that is home to lakhs of winged guests and killing the birds. Taking advantage of the absence of authorities and guards at nights, poachers stray into the brackish lake where the winged guests are currently based and poach them.
An average of 6-8 lakhs winged guests arrives at Chilika all along from northern sphere every year this season. The birds stay here all through the winter before their way back home.
However since last couple of years, a change has been sighted. Instead of Nalabana, their favourite destination till recently, they flock in large numbers at Uttaranasi. The reason is said to be the shortage of food at Nalabana. Uttaranasi is stretched from Bhushandpur to Jagadal and is covered with water lily and other aquatic weeds, making it suitable for these winged guests.
But their boon has proved to be bane for them.
With a view to ensure the migratory birds’ safe stay, security persons are being engaged. While their mechanised boats usually cover Nalabana, Kalupada, Bhushandpur and the middle of Chilika, Uttaranasi lacks proper vigil as the thick cover of aquatic weed prevents the patrolling team’s mechanised boat from reaching the place.
Cashing in on it, some bird hunters have become active these days. While they preferably choose the evening time to go Uttaranasi in small country boats.
The modus operandi of the poachers is that — some lay nets to catch them, some others focus a kind of bright light onto them, making their vision blurred. Thereafter they hit them on their beaks with a stick to catch them. Yet another group of hunters use a kind of sedative that is injected into the pods of lilies that the birds intake while sitting on the flowers. Moreover, they also add the sedatives in their foods to hunt them.
These hunters are reportedly coming to Uttaranasi in evening and returning in the wee hours next day. Because of their time and nature of hunting, they are able to avoid the patrolling team.
Since the meat of migratory birds are in high demand among the non-vegetarian people in the nearby towns like Balugaon, Khallikote, Berhampur and Bhubaneswar, the poachers hunt them to meet the demand and earn extra money, wildlife activists said.
Despite repeated arrests, there has been no change in the attitude of the poachers. Expressing their dissatisfaction, ornithologists, common bird lovers and villagers sought department’s immediate intervention to protect these migratory guests.
PNN