Berhampur:
In yet another case of bird poaching in Orissa's Chilika lake, wintering ground for lakhs of winged guests, wildlife officials have allegedly recovered at least four dead birds from a poacher.
The alleged poacher, identified as Kishor Sahu of Ujala Gopinathpur village, was arrested while he was returning from the lake on Monday, officials said here on Tuesday.
The birds, identified as Gadwall and Pintails, were sent for post-mortem, a senior wildlife officer said.
This was the fifth poaching case in the Chilika lake during this winter in which at least six persons were allegedly involved. Though 36 birds of different species have been seized only three persons have been arrested so far, he said.
On Friday, the forest officials had recovered 16 dead birds, one Pintail and 15 Indian Moorhen near Sorana area.
Bird poachers turn active when lakhs of migratory birds swoop down to spend winter in the Chilika lake.
Over four lakh birds have already descended on the vast Chilika lake so far this year. The majority of them, have however, congregated in the Nalabana bird sanctuary area.
Although poaching was noticed in the lake, hunting was not reported from the bird sanctuary area.
The birds arrive from far-off places like the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, remote parts of Russia, Central and South-East Asia, Ladakh and the Himalayas.