Hunting of water birds such as pelicans, storks, cormorants and few migratory species continues in tanks of Coimbatore.
Unknown men were seen catching Spot-billed pelicans using a novel technique at the Ukkadam tank on Saturday morning.
Udhagamandalam-based naturalist S. Anandan saw three men engaged in catching pelicans at the tank in the busy part of the city.
“I stopped my vehicle on the side of the tank while going to Madukkarai. I saw one man wading through the water wearing a pot with holes (for vision) on his head holding two pelicans in both hands. Another man was holding one pelican. A third person, who wore the same headgear, was also seen in the tank,” said Mr. Ananadan, who is also an avid birder.
As Mr. Anandan had stopped his car on the side of Ukkadam – Perur bypass, which led to a traffic congestion, he was forced to move the vehicle. However, he informed the Forest Department about the incident.
Hunting of pelicans, cormorants and storks have been reported in other tanks in the city, too.
“I had seen fishermen killing cormorants at Singanallur tank where fishing itself is banned as per a board placed at its entrance,” said a Coimbatore-based independent water bird researcher.
According to experts, an adult pelican weighs around four kg and it eats more than 1 kg of fish a day.
Fishermen might see large flocks of pelicans as a big threat as the birds can reduce the size of their catches from tanks, they said.
Pelicans, cormorants and storks are protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
Spot-billed pelican and Painted stork are named as ‘Near Threatened’ species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
District Forest Officer D. Venkatesh said a team of officials from the Forest Department was sent to Ukkadam tank soon after the incident was reported.
Though a team led by Assistant Conservator of Forests C. Dinesh Kumar conducted inquiry with the fishermen and people in the locality, they could not get the whereabouts of the bird hunters.
I. Anwardeen, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Coimbatore Circle), said that the department staff will monitor the tank in the coming days to trace the offenders.