<i> Huge number of wild animals, birds seized</i>
Clockwise From top: A rare monkey, locally known as lojjaboti banor, seized from Srimongal on Saturday. Wild cocks and a large beaked bird locally called dhanesh pakhi are also among a good number of wild birds and animals seized from the illegal possession of two brothers at Jalaliya of Srimongal town on Saturday.Photo: STAR
The forest department with the help of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has seized a good number of wild animals and birds that were illegally reared at a house in Jalaliya residential area of Srimongal town. Of the seized creatures, two gibbons, a hanuman, a feline, three rare monkeys known as lojjaboti banor, an eagle, four wild cocks, two big birds locally named dhonesh pakhi, and an owl were later released to Lawachhara National Park in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar district, said a press release issued by Rab-9 in Srimongal on Saturday evening. They also seized 34 other species of animals including two wild goats, eight rare violet-colour kalem birds, a otter, a peacock, three tortoises, four trogons, three monkeys, a python, two sutanali saap, a white tiger, two snakes, nine parakeets, a bazrigar pakhi, three Himalayan Palm Civet, two hawks, nine doves, a spotted deer, three ostriches, five emus, five mynahs, two parrots, six wild cocks, three owls, a porcupine, 30 ducks of different species, and a few other species of birds and pigeons. Those have been kept in the custody of Abdul Hannan Miah from whose house the wild creatures were seized, the Rab press release said. Hannan and his brother Abdul Ahad Miah had collected these animals for sale, the release said, adding that during the drive the two brothers failed to show any valid documents in this regard. Hannan and Ahad, residents of Jalaliya Road in Sreemongal municipality, have been rearing these wild animals during last several months, said sources at the Forest Range Office (Wildlife and Nature Conservation) at Sreemongal. The two brothers had collected these from different areas of Moulvibazar district. "The forest department in a letter issued on April 7 requested Abdul Hannan Miah and Abdul Ahad Miah not to rear wild animals and birds at their house without permission and asked them to release the collected creatures to the forest but to no effect," said AKM Azharul Islam, range officer of the forest department at Lawachhara. "We will file case for illegally keeping wild animals against Hannan and Ahad after getting instruction from higher authority of the forest department. One can rear only deer after giving fixed fees and getting approval from the forest department," he said. "Some of the seized wild animals that can survive in Lawachhara National Park were released there on Saturday evening. The rest would be released to Dulhajra Safari Park or any other forest of the country after getting direction from the higher authorities," said Kazi Md Nurul Karim, assistant forest conservator in Moulvibazar. Hannan and Ahad claimed that they were rearing those wild animals and birds out of fondness for them, not for any ill motive. They said they had also plans to help the nearly extinct wild animals by creating suitable atmosphere for their procreation.
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