VARANASI: In a joint operation by the forest department and local police, several species of birds were recovered and rescued from Baheliya Tola.
The recovered bird species included 13 live Indian Parrots (Rose Ringed Parakeet), 40 live Red Avadavats, 17 live Buntings, 18 live Budgerigars, and 2 live Java Sparrows, totalling 90 live birds, along with 7 birds confined in cages.
Ravi Kumar Singh, Conservator of Forests, Varanasi Circle, said that a joint team of forest and police personnel caught the criminals red-handed and rescued the illegally held wildlife. A surprise raid was conducted in Baheliya Tola on April 28, resulting in the seizure of numerous birds and the arrest of the culprits on the spot.
The rescued birds were immediately taken to the Sarnath Zoo, where they received primary medical care from a veterinarian. Once healthy, the birds were released into the open sky at the Sarnath Zoo by the forest department on May 1.
The forest officials said that due to its location along the Ganga and proximity to the forest areas of Chandauli and Mirzapur, Varanasi district is sensitive to wildlife trafficking.
The area near Varanasi City Station, known as Baheliya Tola, has long been notorious for illegal wildlife trade, and previous attempts by the forest department to take action in this area failed. The illegal trade in Baheliya Tola is connected to the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
The Varanasi Forest Division registered a forest crime case regarding this illegal trade. The team was led by Swati, DFO Varanasi, and Shruti Srivastava, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime, Varanasi.
The apprehended individuals were sent to jail. The raid was conducted with police assistance at the request of the Conservator of Forests and under the direction of joint police commissioner, S. Channappa.