Wildlife officials have arrested a bird poacher from Kalupada under Tangi wildlife range in Chilika lake and seized 22 dead birds from him along with a country boat.
The accused, identified as Aruna Kalati (40) of Kalupadaarea, was arrested yesterday during patrolling by wildlife personnel in the lake.
Kalati had allegedly poisoned and killed 17 purple-moor and five brown-crake migratory birds in the lake, said Divisional Forest Officer, Chilika wildlife division, Bikash Ranjan Das.
With this, 13 poaching cases were registered in the range and 14 poachers arrested so far this winter. In the entire Chilika division, they had registered 14 cases, arrested 16 persons and seized around 100 dead birds, sources said.
Wildlife division has set up 17 camps and engaged 90 personnel to check poaching of birds.
