(IN): PETA WRITES TO THE MINISTRY ABOUT OWL SMUGGLING

[Guest guest]

*Subject:* PETA WRITES TO THE MINISTRY ABOUT OWL SMUGGLING

 

 

*Contact**:*

 

Sachin Bangera (0)9820967148; SachinB

 

 

*Mumbai*- Owl smuggling is on the rise along the Indo- Bangladesh border.

These nocturnal birds are in demand for their eyeballs which are supposed to

have high medicinal value. This illegal trade came to light recently when

the BSF officials seized one such consignment in Murshidabad. In

Kacharipara, Sarkarpara and Gopalpur ghat areas in Nadia and Jalangi in

Murshidabad owl-trapping has become almost a cottage industry.

 

On learning about this cruel trade, PETA immediately wrote to the Chairman

of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau-Ministry of Environment and Forests asking

him to immediately issue directions to forest officials to prevent poaching,

and also initiate appropriate educational programmes to bring in awareness

amongst people to protect this hapless species.

 

Copy of the letter is attached.

 

Link: http://howrah.org/West-Bengal/9815.html

 

 

 

 

 

*Owls add new dimension to border smuggling*

 

LOCALCORRESPONDENT 21 April, 2008 08:32:00

 

 

 

*In an unusual trend of smuggling, owls are being smuggled in large ***

 

*number along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. Out of 33 *

 

*species normally available in India, the barn owl or white owl, which *

 

*is an endangered species and protected under Wild Life Preservation *

 

*Act, 1972 has become the prime target to the smugglers. However, *

 

*sleuths are still to find the actual reason.*

 

 

 

Krishnanagar: In an unusual trend of smuggling, owls are being smuggled

 

in large number along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal. Out of

 

33 species normally available in India, the barn owl or white owl, which is

 

an endangered species and protected under Wild Life Preservation Act,

 

1972 has become the prime target to the smugglers. However, sleuths are

 

still to find the actual reason.

 

 

 

Agents who are involved in catching the owls for racket operators claim

 

that the bird is hounded for its eyeballs, which have medicinal value.

 

Sources claimed that the Unani experts in Bangladesh use the eyeballs of

 

owls to prepare medicine.

 

 

 

As a result the smuggling agents have become desperate. They have also

 

developed organised rackets with local boys, who collect information on

 

owl nest for which they get Rupees fifty. The poachers later raid the nest

 

with a booby trap supported by strong adhesive and a net affixed on the

 

top of stick.

 

 

 

Qutub Sheikh, a smuggling agent said that a burn owl weighing between

 

500 grams to 1 kg fetch them rupees five thousand and those above 1 kg

 

fetch them rupee ten thousand according to the weight. The ultimate

 

'export' price of an owl weighing one kg is about rupees one lakh.

 

Therefore, with lure of lucre the villagers residing in bordering villages

 

under Karimpur, Chapra, Tehatta in Nadia and Jalangi in adjacent

 

Murshidabad district have been grasping owls day and nights.

 

 

 

In many areas locals tried to resist them, as they believe the bird is

 

auspicious for its mythological attachment with Goddess Laxmi.

 

Nevertheless, the agents never cared.

 

 

 

The forest officials, although rescued many owls from the smugglers, but

 

could no so far find out the exact reason behind such unusual hounding of

 

owl.

 

 

 

Off late they made contacts with police to get the findings of the

 

interrogation report of the arrested agents. Divisional Forest Officer

 

(Nadia-Murshidabad), Lipika Roy, said, " We are trying our best. "

 

Meanwhile, concerned over the fatal trend, the PETA (People for the

 

Ethical Treatment of Animals) has recently appealed to the Chairman of

 

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (Ministry of Environment and Forest) to

 

take initiative to stop 'poaching' as well as to take up awareness

 

programme amongst people.

 

 

 

Arpan Mukherjee of En-Act, a nature care organization in Krishnanagar

 

has already launched awareness campaigning in different parts of the

 

district.

 

________________

 

 

 

October 17, 2007

 

Chairman

 

Wildlife Crime Control Bureau

 

Ministry of Environment and Forests

 

Paryavaran Bhawan

 

CGO Complex,

 

New Delhi - 110003

 

**Cross border smuggling of owls along Indo – Bangladesh border.

 

Dear Sir,

 

 

 

We are writing to you from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

 

(PETA) India to draw your attention to a recent news report which states

 

that owls are smuggled along the Indo – Bangladesh border. A copy of this

 

news report published in the Asian Age on 8 October 2007 is attached for

 

your reference.

 

We humbly request you to kindly issue directions to forest officials to

 

prevent poaching, and also initiate appropriate educational programmes to

 

bring in awareness amongst the people to protect these species.

 

Sir we are depending on you to probe into this matter and take stern action

 

against all those involved in this crime.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Sachin Bangera

 

Campaigns Coordinator

 

Encl: As above

 

 

 

 

 

Link:

http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/asian-age-plus/ideas-plus/ow\

l-adds-new-twist-to-smuggling.aspx

Owl adds new twist to smuggling

 

*Subhasish Chaudhuri*

 

Kolkata: This is a problem which is keeping the state forest officials in

Nadia district of West Bengal awake at nights. The reason is an unusual

spurt in cross border smuggling of owls. Out of 33 species of owls available

in India, the barn owl (white owl), an endangered species protected under

wild life preservation act, 1972 is high on demand. The nocturnal birds are

hunted for their eyeballs which are supposed to have high medicinal value.

Interestingly, some time ago it was human hair that was in great demand

among the smugglers for the making of wigs. However, with the increase in

the demand for owls, smuggling along the Indo-Bangladesh border in bordering

districts of West Bengal has reached a new high.

 

 

 

With the lure for lucre, the villagers residing in bordering Karimpur and

Chapra in Nadia district and Jalangi in adjacent Murshidabad district have

been hunting for these precious birds at night. The villagers have also been

prowling old abandoned houses where owls usually hide during the day.

 

The owl trade came to light recently when the BSF official seized one such

consignment in Murshidabad. Sources said people in Kacharipara, Sarkarpara

and Gopalpur ghat areas in Nadia and Jalangi in Murshidabad owl-trapping has

become a cottage industry.

 

 

 

Although they have rescued many owls from the smugglers, the forest

officials have never bothered to find out the exact reason behind such

unusual hunting of owls. Divisional forest officer (Nadia-Murshidabad), Ms

Lipika Roy, who joined office recently, said: " We have decided to approach

the police to know the findings of its interrogation of the smugglers

arrested recently. " Sources revealed that hakims practising Unani medicine

in Bangladesh use the eyeballs of owls to prepare medicines.

 

 

 

A booby trap covered with net attached to a long stick is being used to

catch owls. The smugglers are now spreading their racket by roping in local

boys, whom they pay Rs 50 for just providing information about an owl's

nest.

 

Sirajul Mandal, a smuggling agent of Kacharipara claimed that a barn owl

weighing between 500 grams to 1 kg fetches them Rs 5,000 and one above 1 kg

Rs 10,000.

 

 

 

Sources claimed that white owls and black owls are in heavy demand in

Bangladesh mainly for export to European countries.

 

 

 

Their eyeballs, skin and feather roots are widely used for medicinal

purposes and sold at a high price. In Bangladesh, export of an owl weighing

one kg fetches 100,000.

 

 

 

Dr Arpan Mukherjee of En-Act, a nature care organisation in Nadia expressed

serious concern over this unusual trend of smuggling. The organisation has

already launched an awareness campaign in different parts of the district.

 

Recently, villagers in Nabadweep-Satpukuria came out to resist the smugglers

when they were trapping owls from an abandoned brick field.