4 arrested, arms seized for illegal hunting in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 23 (UNI) The Wildlife Protection Force has arrested four people for the illegal hunting of migratory birds at Hokersar on the outskirts of the city.

Hokersar Wildlife Warden Abdul Rauf Zargar said they were arrested when the Wildlife department officials conducted the search in the Hokersar area after they noticed a vehicle parked inside the prohibited zone.

They were arrested with arms and ammunition under the Wildlife Protection Act, Mr Zargar said, adding, ''one of the guns seized costs Rs 16 lakh''.

A record number of foreign breed species throng the Valley, especially Hokersar, 14 km from here, after covering thousands of miles.

Hokersar, spread over 13.75 sq km, is the famous wetland of Kashmir and an annual destination for a variety of migratory birds from Siberia, central Asia, China, north Europe and the Indian Sub-continent.

The government has banned the hunting of migratory birds in Hokersar and other wetlands.

UNI