Killing of geese goes viral, officials swing into action

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, February 19

The alleged poaching of some migratory birds, Greylag geese, in the wetland across Rajathan feeder-Sirhind feeder canals, near Machaki Mal Singh village in Faridkot on Saturday evening, caught Forest Department officials napping.

After some pictures of a poacher, wielding a double barrel gun and his assistant carrying the killed geese near Machaki Mal Singh village, situated about 6 km from Faridkot, went viral on social media and some lovers of migratory birds raised hue and cry, the forest department today swung into action.

A team of forest department, led by Tajinder Singh, forest range officer today rushed to wetland area near Machaki Mal Singh and tried to identify the accused with the help of pictures which has went viral on the social media.

These pictures were clicked by a bird-lover on Saturday evening when he was returning home from his duty in a government school in the area. After he heard some fire shots and a flock of geese flying in scare, this bird lover clicked the pictures from the other side of Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder Canal- two poachers carrying some killed geese and one of them wielding a rifle.

He clicked some photographs of these poaches from a distance of over 60 meter. As these pictures are not much clear, the forest department officials are trying to identify these accused. ‘We are showing these pictures in the adjoining villages so that the residents could help us in identify these accused”, said Tajinder Singh , the range officer.

We have lodged a complaint a complaint against unknown poachers under Section 9, 39, 50 and 51 of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, said Tajinder Singh. Besides the police, the officials of the forest department are also trying hard to identify the accused with the help of area residents, he said. We have requested the police to scrutinize all licensed fire weapons in this area so that the ballistic examination of these weapons can help in identifying the accused , he said.

Preliminary investigation hints that poachers belong to Daggu Romana village, situated 8 km from here.

The bird-lovers in the area said this act of killing the migratory guests is a sickening and barbaric act. Sources in the area revealed that it is not first time that the action of the poachers resulted in the death of these geese. Taking this case to a logical end will help in creating awareness this time that anyone committing rural and wildlife crime will be robustly dealt with, and the incident again highlights the essential and continual hard work of forest and wild life department, said the birds lover in the area.