6 peregrine falcons seized, trafficker arrested

Six Peregrine falcons, including two juveniles, were rescued today by forest officials from the possession of a trafficker at the Banskopa toll plaza near Panagarh on Thursday.

The accused, Sheikh Wazed, a resident of Dubrajdighi near Burdwan town, was arrested and his mini truck detained. Officials said he was transporting the protected birds from Bihar and was scheduled to hand them over to a receiver in Burdwan.

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Peregrine falcons, bird-eating hawks, are listed under the ‘least concern’ category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their breeding range extends from the Arctic tundra to tropical regions.

Sudip Banerjee, Forest Ranger of Durgapur, said: “We had a tip-off that this person was frequently trafficking falcons from Bihar, and today we intercepted him with six birds.”