Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SM/NR)
Pics - Vinay Pais - Kundapur
Udupi, Oct 20: 53 birds and 27 animals of different species were rescued, by the forest officials, from the house of Sudheendra Aithal in Saligrama town near here on Friday October 19.
Speaking to media persons R K Srivastava, deputy conservator, said that they had received credible information about animals being kept illegally caged. According to Schedule I and II of the Wildlife Protection Act, one cannot imprison the animals, he informed. Hence, they were rescued from the house, he added.
The rescued animals will be first screened at Wildlife Division Office at Karkala, he informed. Few of the rescued animals will be taken to the rehabilitation centre at Mysore zoo, where a health check-up will be done, he added.
According to Sudheendra Aithal right from his childhood he loved birds and animals. He used to get the injured birds and animals to his home and would treat them with utmost care. He expressed his displeasure at the raids and said that he found these animals and birds injured and so brought them home.
“But after they were treated, they were left in the forests. But some animals and birds, which were not fit enough or could not adjust to forest life, are still being taken care of”, Aithal clarified his stand. Even the department of forests used to get injured birds and animals to him. But now they are planning to put legal action against this, he lamented.
However, according to Srivastava only those birds and animals were taken by the Forest Department officials that came under the purview of the Wildlife Protection Act. He informed that the wild animals were being kept there since many years without obtaining any official permission and this is a punishable offence. Aithal even used to fix entry fees for the visitors who came to watch these animals. Hence, he said that legal action would be initiated against him.