The death of hundreds of egrets in a lower Assam town has prompted the state forest department to write to all deputy commissioners to “inform” urban and rural civic bodies in their districts to “consult” local forest officials before taking any step that may harm wildlife or any protected animals/birds.
Over 200 egret chicks died after their bamboo grove habitat in ward no. 1 of Tangla town in Udalguri district was partially destroyed following an order by the Tangla Municipal Board, sparking off not only widespread condemnation of the “inhuman act” but also raising questions about the awareness level of urban and rural civic bodies when it came to protection of wildlife/bird habitats in such areas.
Rajkot: Nine persons were booked for allegedly attacking forest officials in a village of Sutrapada taluka in Gir Somnath district on Friday. The FIR was lodged by in-charge forester Kiran Joshi.
According to Joshi’s complaint, he got information that absconding accused Amad Bhesaliya booked under Wildlife Protection Act was seen at his home in Bhesaliya’s village on June 24. When Joshi and his team reached the village, the family members of the accused including with his wife, parents, brother, brother-in-law and others attacked them with sticks, pipe and other shape-edge weapons.
Some forest officials suffered minor injuries during the attack by the kin of the accused, who also threatened to kill them. Bhesaliya is accused of hunting and setting up traps to catch wild animals in the forest.
Let’s not just depend on rules and regulations to tell us what to do, but practise mindfulness and care when it comes to respecting our natural environment