Nearly 48 larks succumbed to suffocation as their vendors had choked them in just two small size wooden baskets leading to their death on being rescued since these larks could not cope up with the new environment !
The baskets two in number had 200 larks. The size of the baskets was far little to accommodate 200 larks. Sources said there was one sharp knife too inside one of the baskets of larks. This knife too caused injuries to the larks.
DFO Core of PTR Anil Kumar Mishra confirmed the death of 48 larks saying “When our men rescued them on Saturday in Daltonganj’s Belwa Tiker market our men saw their pathetic condition as the larks in the two baskets were stuffed like potatoes and many larks suffered crush of each other.”
Mishra said all care and caution was taken to keep alive the rescued 200 larks but 48 of them just could not survive. He confirmed the recovery of a sharp knife in one of the baskets of the bird larks. He said the vendor uses this knife to first chop off the legs of this bird and then to behead this bird when sold to buyers.
Two women Sarita and Urmila were trying to sell the birds in the Belwa Tiker market in Daltonganj when the personnel of the PTR Core reached there and seized and recovered the larks.
The larks have been brought down to DFO's official residence in Daltonganj. where a name sake natural surroundings have been recreated for the birds to survive.
None of these birds can fly as one wing of all the larks has been cut off by the smuggler. Mishra said this is the most barbaric way to keep the larks captive. loss of wing harms the lark and this may be one of the reasons that larks die once either in captivity or on getting freed since finding unable to fly just roll down to death.
Mishra said Sarita and Urmila have disclosed the name of one Nandu Munda of Datoom village who captures and smuggles bird.
Smuggling of bird is quite common in parts of Palamu and Garhwa said sources. Two years back a large number of desi totas ( parrots) were recovered which was on way to KOlkata via Daltonganj Ranchi road. lark is a schedule 1V bird.
It is a migratory one and comes from Tibet here in winter and with the onset of summer flies back from here.
Mishra said these bird sellers pass muniya gauriya etc as lark and people just come in their trap and dole out cash for shikar bird!
Sources said there goes a belief that eating lark in winter provides inner heat in body and thus people buy this bird for any price. Sources said each lark costs around 20 to 25 rupees.
The Core personnel let off Sarita and Urmila but have asked DFO North Daltonganj to find out Nandu Munda of Datoom village for this bird smuggling. A case is instituted against Munda under various sections of the wild life protection act..
Sarita and Urmila were just the vendor hired by this Munda who had promised these two women a commission for sale.