Birds Seizure

330 birds die, others released in Safari park

3 July 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

The birds seized from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Friday were released in Bangabandhu Safari Park in Cox's Bazar yesterday. Photo : Courtesy

The rare species of birds seized from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport while being smuggled to Pakistan on Friday have been released in Bangabandhu Safari Park in Cox's Bazar. A good number of Hilly mynahs, which are still small, would be released in the deep forest of the Chittagong Hill Tracts after completion of legal procedures, said Dr Tapan Kumar Dey, conservator of forests at the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Region, Dhaka. Customs officials on Friday seized around 1,000 birds--400 hilly mynahs and 600 blossom-headed parakeets, spotted munia and bazrigars. Of them, 330 birds, however, died. "Many birds were found dead due to lack of food and care," said a press release. Pakistani citizen Ahmmed Shaikh Wahid was trying to smuggle the birds. A case was filed against him. After recovering the birds, the customs officials handed over the birds in five cages to the forest officials who then took them to the forest office in the capital's Agargaon. After providing some treatment there, the birds were taken to the Bangabandhu Safari Park in Cox's Bazar on Friday night. According to the press release of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Region, Dhaka, the hilly mynahs were collected from the woods of Chittagong Hill Tracts.