17 held in Assam for poisoning migratory birds

Police in Majuli district in central Assam arrested 17 people for allegedly poisoning migratory birds.

District Police Chief Horen Tokbi said that some poisonous substances and other items were seized from the arrested persons, who were thought to have killed the bird for consumption.

“We handed it over to the Ministry of Forestry for necessary procedures,” he said. Hindu.

Mr. Tokbi said that the police are tracking people who kill birds that flock to the wetlands in the district during the winter months. “With the help of some locals, we managed to catch them red-handed on Monday, January 26, 2026,” he added.

A Ministry of Forestry official said that the 17 people were held under relevant articles of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and will be produced in the local court on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

“All the birds were gray geese (from the waterfowl family Anatidae). We found three carcasses and three more died during treatment. Five were rescued,” said a Forest official.

The incident took place in an agricultural area in the Kamargaon area of ​​the district, which is outside the jurisdiction of the ministry, the official said.