Mokokchung, June 13 (MTNews): A video of a Great Indian Hornbill being tortured and killed was widely circulated on social media, causing much outrage among the public. In the video, a man can be seen beating the Hornbill with a stick and trampling on the bird’s neck. The police took cognizance of the video and have arrested three people involved in the gruesome act.
The exact location of the incident was not known initially but the language in which the people in the video were speaking indicated that it was in Wokha. However, it has now been confirmed that the incident happened in Bhandari town under Wokha district. It is said that the three arrested persons have been handed over to the Wildlife Division team for further investigation.
It is also reported that a team of Wildlife Division from Dimapur reached Wokha on Monday and that the accused have been taken in for legal proceedings. The weapon used has been seized, and parts of the Hornbill have been recovered, as per reports.
It may be mentioned that all Hornbill birds are categorized under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 that provides absolute protection and offences under Schedule 1 are prescribed the highest penalties, from being punishable with 3-7 years of imprisonment and a fine of at least 10,000 Rupees under section 51(1) of the Act.