HUBBALLI: A migratory bird with a GPS tracker attached to it, was found near Kadamba Naval Base in Karwar of Uttara Kannada district.
A passerby who saw the bird with the tracker informed the police. Officials examined the seagull and GPS tracker, which bears the inscription ‘Eco-Environment Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences’.
The tracker was installed to study the movement, feeding patterns and migration of seagulls.
The bird was sent to the Marine Forest Division office. Meanwhile, Forest officials are in contact with the Chinese Academy. As the area where the seagull was found is a naval base, the police department and naval police have initiated an investigation. The incident falls under the jurisdiction of Karwar City police station.
“The Kadamba base and surrounding areas come under a high security zone. The base is home to Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and is on high alert almost all the time. Though it seems like the bird may have been fitted with a GPS tracker for migratory study purpose, we need to contact the base that is claimed from China. Only after that, we can conclude the investigation,” said an official.
A few months ago, a falcon released from Maharashtra by the forest department and BNHS scientists had landed in Karwar naval base. The arrival of the bird with a ring on its neck had aroused the curiosity of the public and security personnel.
Seagulls start migrating after the monsoon along the Karnataka coast. In the past month, seagulls were seen in large numbers on the coast of Karwar and Ankola.