Suvarna Brahmavar
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Mar 1: The wild animals and birds, which had been rescued, cared for, and nurtured for a number of years by Sudhindra Aithal, residing near Lord Gurunarasimha Temple in Saligrama in the taluk, were shifted on Wednesday February 29, to Pilikula Nisargadhama in Mangalore.
The forest squad, working in tandem with the local policemen had on Tuesday February 28 raided the rescue centre run by Aithal, which the officials termed as private zoo without government sanction. As a number of animals and birds found at the centre were not in the list of those which can be reared by individuals, the squad had arrested Sudhindra Aithal. Aithal was produced in a court in Kundapur and later released on bail.
Elk, porcupine, owl, monkey, sea turtle, and some other animals and birds that are in the prohibited list, were shifted to Pilikula Nisargadhama in Mangalore as per the court orders.
Uduipi district forest officer, Ganesh Rai, assistant forest officer, Prakash, Ganapati, and others, undertook this operation with the help of wildlife experts.