Kokrajhar: Three endangered species, an infant golden langur, owl and a turtle, were recovered from three different places in Assam’s Chirang district. Three persons were apprehended for violations of Forest Act and poaching.
According to Chirang divisional forest officer Brahmananda Patiri, a rare species of turtle was recovered at a house of Swapan Barman at Bijni. Barman, an employee of Chirang division of forest, allegedly brought the turtle.
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Bengtal police outpost in-charge Haider Ali Ahmed recovered the infant golden langur at Auzarguri. It is a month old and was separated from its mother. It was also found ill when it was recovered.
Ahmed and his wife took special care and provided medical treatment to the golden langur calf at their residence in Bengtal.
Ahmed informed the forest department about the recovery of the rare species.
Meanwhile, Sidli police station officer-in-charge Ritu Jyoti Nath recovered an owl from Shyamtaibari on the same day.
Getting information about poaching of an owl in the area, a police team from Sidli police station carried out an operation along the Shyamtaibari area in the district and recovered the owl, an endangered species found in the area. The owl fetches a good price in the black market.
Police seized the owl and apprehended three persons for their involvement in poaching and violations of the Forest Act.
They have been identified as Shom Mardi (40), Mangal Hembrom (35) and Lakhan Hasda (30) of Haldibari village.
Patiri also informed that the golden langur infant and turtle have been sent to Guwahati state zoo.
Meanwhile, in yet another operation by forest department in the district, smuggled sal timber and two vehicles were recovered from smugglers at Sapkata area in Kokrajhar district here recently.
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Getting inputs about the smuggling of sal timber, a joint team comprising of forest staff, anti-corruption & crime investigation front, Bodoland environmental protection society and Pathgaon police carried out a search operation along the Sapkata under eastern Athiabari range in Kachugaon forest division and able to seize the two vehicles while carrying the illegal sal timber in Kokrajhar district.
The timber logs were allegedly smuggled from Premnagar area and joint team seized the two vehicles in which they were being carried. The accused managed to flee from the spot.
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The market value of the seized timber would be approximately Rs 2 lakh. The vehicles and seized timber were brought to the Athiabari forest office.
