Pigeon poacher nabbed, FIR filed in Banswara

UDAIPUR: Pigeons may be reviled by many and adored by some. Killing the bird is illegal as it has been kept in the protected category. Bird lovers in Banswara city were shocked to know that some people had been poaching and eating pigeons for many days.

Members of

New Utsav Foundation

, a voluntary organization working for preservation of birds, caught a poacher and seized his bag that contained over two dozen pigeons that he and his aides had hunted.

“We had organized a special camp on Makar Sankranti to protect birds that were injured due to kite flying. We noticed that at Kushal Bagh ground, where thousands of pigeons came to eat grains, this time their numbers drastically reduced,” said Hitesh Patel, a member of the NGO.

Activists of the Vagad Nature Club too had been concerned over the falling number of pigeons in the area. However, on Tuesday morning, around 4am, one of the activists spotted three men aiming catapults at birds perched on buildings inside the Walled City area. He managed to nab one of the poachers while the others ran away. The poacher was taken to

Kotwali

police station and a case was filed.

Meanwhile, bird activists made enquiries and found that 30 to 40 families that came from

Ujjain

in Madhya Pradesh had been living in tents at an open ground in city. They had been poaching pigeons for food to keep themselves warm. A delegation met DySP Veeraram and demanded action to prevent

pigeon

poaching.

“Doves including pigeons are protected under Schedule 4 of the Wild Life Protection Act and a case may be lodged against the wrongdoers,” said Rahul Bhatnagar, chief conservator of forest.