PrashantNews
Come Diwali, the poachers of owls are on the prowl in Uttarakhand. Fearing that poachers would try to hunt down these nocturnal birds, an alert has been sounded by the state forest department.
Zoos in the state including Nainital and Malsi in Dehradun are also on alert. Elsewhere in Uttarakhand, a general alert has been sounded to keep a vigil on all the hunters of owls. The owl is considered as a vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi, whose blessings are sought on Diwali.
“During Diwali festival, owls are hunted down in large numbers. We have raised an alert in Uttarakhand where nearly 25-30 owl species are found,” said a top state forest official.
During Diwali days, the owl, a nocturnal bird, is hunted down in large numbers as tantriks generally use them in occult sacrifice to appease the deity. Uttarakhand is also home to nearly 25 owl species some of which are rare.
“An alert has been issued due to the fear of poaching of owls in view of Diwali,” Neeraj Sharma, DFO Dehradun, said.