Mumbai: Dead birds and 100 live snares removed from Kandivli lake

A local police officer with a bag of the nylon snares set up to trap birds at the lake

Migratory birds that have arrived at the city's wetlands seem to be facing a huge threat from poachers. In Kandivli West, active snares made of nylon ropes were found near a natural lake. A volunteer of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has removed more than 100 snares preventing more bird deaths."

Speaking to mid-day, Ankit Vyas, volunteer with Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and Forest Department, said his sources told him that some poachers had set up nylon snares to trap the birds that come to the natural lake at Kandivli West. A bird watcher, too, had given information about birds that had died after getting trapped in the snares.

A dead bird

Without wasting any time, Vyas reached the spot in order to verify the information and after searching the entire area, found many live nylon snares. He immediately informed the Mumbai Range office of Thane Forest Department(Territorial). Vyas said, "I was shocked to see birds entangled in the snares set up by poachers. I also informed the Forest, WCCB and local police."

As there were chances that more birds could get entangled in the nylon snares, the forest department requested Vyas to remove the trapped birds and live traps. Removing the snares or traps is not an easy task and Vyas had to swim almost 80 to 100 metres into the lake to reach the small island where the traps were laid.

"I have removed close to 100 active traps (noose traps ) specially made to trap birds. The carcass of the dead birds was handed over to forest department along with the snares. Now we are waiting for postmortem reports and forest officials are investigating to find out who is behind this," Vyas said.

Birds spotted at the lake

Birds spotted at the lake
Spot bill duck
Whistlings ducks
Painted Storks
Glossy Ibis
White Ibis
Cormorant
Malad ducks
Teals
Cormorant
Grey herons
Purple herons
Black crowned night heron
Purple swamp hen

Other Biodiversity
35 species of butterfly
15 species of reptiles
7 species of mammals

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