Forest officials arrested five persons for illegally hunting wild birds at Bholakata Beel in Biswanath district. Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Central Range, Biswanath Ghat, led by the Range Forest Officer and assisted by officials of the Crime Investigation Range, carried out a raid and caught the suspects red-handed while they were setting up net traps to capture birds.
During the operation, the team recovered a live bird suspected to be a Cotton Pygmy Goose, a protected species listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. A fishing net, two mobile phones, a torchlight and two white bags were also seized from the possession of the accused.
According to forest officials, such illegal hunting poses a serious threat to the wetland’s rich biodiversity, as Bholakata Beel is home to several migratory as well as resident bird species. The arrested individuals are residents of different villages under Biswanath district. They were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Biswanath, on December 10. 
