3 apprehended for killing endangered Great Indian hornbill

One week after a video surfaced on social media, in which an endangered Great Indian Hornbill was tortured and killed, the wildlife wing of the state forest department along with Bhandari police and district administration Monday arrested the three accused at Bhandari, under Wokha district.
Speaking to Nagaland Post, wildlife warden Dimapur, Tokaho Kinimi, who was on his way to Wokha to take stock of the case, said that the wildlife team started tracing the individuals after seeing the video.
Although the wildlife crime staff identified the individuals in the video, he said they required more investigation in order to come to a conclusion and bring the accused to book.
“We have arrested the three main accused (the one who shot the bird, one who was torturing and other at whose residence the incident happened),” Tokaho informed. He also said that the gun used in shooting the hornbill has been seized.
Expressing disappointment over the ignorance of some people on wildlife protection despite carrying out plenty of awareness, he said that such incidents reflected poorly on the state.
As per Section 51 of Wildlife Act, a person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that shall not be less than three years but which may extend to seven years and also with fine.
Meanwhile, Bhandari SDPO L Sukumo Kikon informed Nagaland Post that the accused were handed over to the police by the Forest Department officials along with the recovered 12 bore SBBL gun, 11 pieces of the bird’s feathers and the severed head of the bird.
Green SONS condemn: Condemning the killing of the great Indian hornbill, the Green Succession of Nagaland State (Green SONS) has appealed to the responsible authority to take exemplary action against the accused.
Green-SONS through its media cell appreciated the wildlife and the police departments for speedy action taken against the perpetrators. The organisation stated such the act of perpetrators was “indeed too cruel and insane” and demanded that they be booked under the appropriate section of the Wildlife protection Act.