ANGUL: Four peafowl and a four-horned antelope were rescued from illegal captivity at Maa Bayani Peetha park in Patrapada under Chhendipada forest range here on Wednesday.
The rescue operation was carried out by a forest team led by Chhendipada ranger SS Mohapatra. The animals, classified under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, were reportedly kept in cages for public display.
The rescued animals were brought to the Chhendipada range office where a team of veterinary doctors treated them. After preliminary care, all the five animals were shifted to the Kapilash zoo. The antelope and the peafowl are believed to be around three years old.
The rescue operation was launched after wildlife activist Subhendu Mallik alerted principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), wildlife Suresh Pant about the unlawful captivity of the animals. He reported that the park, maintained by Maa Bayani temple at Patrapada, was housing the peafowl and antelope in cages in violation of sections 9 and 38 of of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Acting on the complaint, the PCCF instructed the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Angul to initiate immediate action, leading to the rescue.