Bar-headed geese shot dead in Himachal Pradesh
February 8th, 2009 - 10:49 pm ICT by IANSShimla, Feb 8 (IANS) Two migratory birds have been shot dead near a world-famous wetlands in Himachal Pradesh, wildlife officials said here Sunday.
“This evening our staff noticed somebody moving under suspicious circumstances in the catchment of the Pong Dam wetlands in Kangra district,” Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) S.K. Guleria told IANS.
“Apprehending arrest, the suspect, who is believed to be an official of the wildlife wing posted in the Pong area, disappeared from the spot, leaving two dead bar-headed geese behind,” he said.
He said that the physical examination of the carcasses indicated the birds were shot dead.
“The hunt is on for the accused, who has been identified,” Guleria said.
Last month, 20 migratory birds were found dead near Pong wetlands. The dead birds comprised 18 bar-headed geese and two ruddy shell ducks.
Authorities ruled out any symptoms of bird flu but believed the birds were poisoned to death.
Around 95,000 birds of 89 species, both migratory and local, are roosting and feeding in the Pong Dam area these days, according to a census conducted by the state wildlife wing from Jan 30 to Feb 2.
Nestled in the sylvan surroundings of the snow-capped majestic Dhauladhars, the Pong wetlands have the distinction of being one of the important winter grounds for local and migratory species from China and even far-off countries like Russia and Poland.
As per the census, around 23,000 bar-headed geese were recorded in the Pong area.
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- Tagged birds return to Pong wetlands from China - Dec 27, 2011
- Now GPS to monitor winged visitors to Himachal - Jan 22, 2011
- Little grass, bar-headed geese skip Pong wetlands - Feb 06, 2011
- Himachal plans major development around Pong wetlands - Feb 09, 2011
- Himachal gets new feathery guest - Jan 17, 2011
- Pong wetlands hosting over 100,000 feathered guests (Feb 2 is World Wetlands Day) - Feb 02, 2012
- Know the bird and count it too - at Pong wetlands - Jan 25, 2011
- 40,000 bar-headed geese roosting in Himachal now (With Image) - Jan 20, 2010
- Around 95,000 waterfowl roosting in Himachal's Pong Dam: census - Feb 02, 2009
- Migratory birds start descending on Himachal's Pong Dam wetlands (With Images) - Oct 28, 2009
- 41 bird species found in Himachal wetlands - Jun 12, 2011
Tags: bird flu, carcasses, catchment, dam area, dead birds, ducks, feb 2, forest officer, geese, migratory birds, migratory species, physical examination, pong, state wildlife, suspicious circumstances, sylvan surroundings, symptoms of bird flu, wetlands, wildlife officials, wildlife wing