OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: Three persons were arrested on Friday evening for allegedly killing a hornbill after a video showing them posing with the carcass surfaced on social media, prompting swift action by the Digboi Forest Division and police.
The investigation was launched after the footage, reportedly recorded in the Enthem area of Tinsukia district, sparked outrage among conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts. The authenticity of the video, however, has not been independently verified.
According to local sources, those arrested are Sattu Mura (22), Kamal Bhadra (39), and Binod Majhi (21), all residents of Enthem village. They were produced before the Margherita court on Saturday and booked under the relevant provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Forest officials have not yet disclosed the specific sections invoked, and the investigation is ongoing.
Conservationist Devajit Moran praised Divisional Forest Officer Rohini Kumar Das, forest personnel and the police for their prompt response. He urged local residents to report wildlife crimes and support enforcement agencies.
“The prompt arrests send a strong message that crimes against wildlife will not go unpunished. Public cooperation remains crucial in protecting Assam’s invaluable biodiversity,” Moran said.
The incident has renewed concerns over persistent wildlife crime in the Digboi Forest Division. The recent mutilation of a domesticated elephant at Dhulijan village, where unidentified miscreants allegedly hacked off both tusks before fleeing, remains unsolved, with the stolen ivory yet to be recovered.
Forest officials said efforts are continuing to reconstruct the sequence of events, collect further evidence and determine whether others were involved. Hornbills are considered keystone species in Northeast India’s forests due to their vital role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration, making their protection crucial to the region’s biodiversity.