BERHAMPUR: Forest officials arrested a 35-year-old man with carcasses of 44 migratory birds from near a water body under Chilika wildlife division on Wednesday.
The accused, Pradeep Mallick of Bhusandapur under Tangi police limits in Khurda district, was caught red-handed with the dead birds stuffed in two gunny bags, said DFO of Chilika wildlife division Amlan Nayak.
The seized carcasses belonged to five protected species - northern shoveller (3), northern pintail (23), garganey (9), pheasant-tailed jacana (8) and bronze-winged jacana (1). These species are listed under various schedules of the Wildlife Protection Act. The DFO said tissue samples of the birds have been collected and sent for forensic analysis. The carcasses were buried after postmortem.
Forest officials said another person accompanying Mallick managed to flee. During interrogation, the accused revealed the identity of his absconding accomplice as Bhalu Bhola (38) of Bhusandapur. A manhunt has been launched to nab Bhola.
The DFO said patrolling has been intensified across Chilika as lakhs of migratory birds have already arrived since mid-October. Besides, more birds are expected to Chilika during the winter months.
To combat poaching, the Forest department is conducting round-the-clock patrolling, gathering intelligence inputs and deploying drones to monitor vulnerable pockets. A total of 21 temporary anti-poaching camps have been set up, with special focus on bird congregation zones such as the Nalabana and Tangi ranges, Nayak added.