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Hundreds of migratory birds found dead in Bihar lake, 8 fishermen bookedBy Hindustan Times

Hundreds of dead migratory and local birds were found floating in a lake in north Bihar’s East Champaran district on Tuesday, in what officials say could be a suspected case of poisoning.

Motihari’s divisional forest officer Baidhnath Prasad Gupta said many of the dead birds found on the Sarottar Lake are migratory and his department is segregating the carcass to find out their exact number.

Gupta added that it appeared to be a case of the mass killing of birds using pesticide.

“However, we will know about the exact cause of death after we receive the report from the Patna Veterinary College laboratory,” he said.

Sunil Kumar Yadav, station house officer (SHO) of Dumarighat police station, said eight fishermen have been booked after a contractor lodged a complaint alleging that a rival fisherman had poisoned the lake to kill the birds. The lake has been leased to Jitendra Sahani for fishing.

Yadav, who visited the lake on Wednesday, said police have started an investigation to find out the motive behind the incident.

Sarottar Lake, about 35km south of Motihari and adjacent to world famous Kesaria Stupa, attracts migratory birds from Siberia and the Himalayan region every winter. Pochard, Red Crested Pochard, Coot, Dove, Sora, Virgina rail, Snipe, Teal and Wood Cock are among those that flock to the lake in search of food and nesting spots.

The arrival of different varieties of exotic winged guests, apart from resident birds, has made the lake a birdwatcher’s paradise.

Enraged ornithologists have blamed poachers active in the locality for the death of such a large number of birds.

Alok Sharma, a local educationist, said poaching of migratory birds has continued unabated despite a ban and that bird catchers sell them openly in different markets at a price ranging from Rs 2000 to Rs 3500.