The crane lived with Arif and accompanied him to his fields. (File)
There is nothing wrong in caring for an endangered species but one should inform the authorities about it, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday, responding to a question on Uttar Pradesh forest department filing a case against a man for allegedly "illegally" keeping and nursing an injured Sarus crane.
Arif Khan Gurjar, 35, a resident of Mandkha village of Amethi district, rescued the Sarus crane and took care of it for a year, according to officials.
The crane lived with Arif and accompanied him to his fields. However, forest department officials took it away on March 21.
While the man has been booked under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Sarus crane has been placed in a zoo, after it struggled to survive in the wild.
"Even if we are caring for an endangered species, we need to inform authorities. There is nothing wrong in caring for endangered species. It's our responsibility," the minister said at 'News 18 Rising India' programme here.
A day after the bird was taken away, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference during which he condemned the forest department action and asked indirectly if any official had the courage to take away the peacocks at the prime minister's residence.
The minister added that action in the matter has been taken in accordance with the local law.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)