Sanctuary birds poached in Bagerhat
Forest officials seize 11 young pankauris (cormorant) including seven slaughtered, three dead and one live, from the Old Court area in Bagerhat town yesterday after the poachers, two employees of Bagehat District and Sessions Judges Court, left them.Photo: STAR
Two employees of Bagerhat District and Sessions Judge's Court yesterday poached 11 birds and slaughtered seven of them. The two employees--Saroj Biswas and Moni Sheikh--caught the young cormorants from the old court area in the morning. When locals surrounded the employees, they told them that they poached the birds at the instruction of a judge. Locals then informed Sunderbans East Division Forest Officer Mihir Kumar Dey about the matter over cellphone. But the poachers had left the scene before the forest officer came. Later, Forest Officer Mihir Kumar Dey found seven slaughtered cormorants, three dead ones and a live bird on the premises of the old court. He also recovered a knife from there. Talking to this correspondent over cellphone, the judge denied asking them to catch the birds. He said departmental action would be taken against the two employees. Local people demanded exemplary punishment to the poachers. A bird sanctuary has been developed in the Old Court area adjacent to the official residence of the deputy commissioner over the last one decade. The dead birds were buried in the forest department field. Attempts are being made to save the live cormorant. Forest Department did not file any case against the two employees as of filing of this report at 5:00pm yesterday.
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