Kolkata, Sep 25 (IANS): The Border Security Force (BSF) thwarted a transnational wildlife trafficking attempt along the Indo-Bangladesh Border and recovered four golden pheasants in the North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.

"There was an intelligence input regarding the possible smuggling of birds from across the border and troops of Amudiya Border Outpost were on an alert,” said a senior BSF official of the South Bengal Frontier, BSF.

He said that the jawans spotted two persons approaching the border fence from the Bangladesh side in a suspicious manner.

“On being challenged, the duo fled back after dropping plastic bags that they were carrying. A search was launched immediately and the birds were found packed in two plastic bags,” he said.

The birds were taken to the Amudiya BOP and taken care of before being handed over to officials of the forest department at Basirhat.

The official said that a few days ago, the BSF had prevented the smuggling of endangered Indian star-shelled tortoises from India to Bangladesh.

The birds, native to western and central China, were being smuggled from Bangladesh to India. According to the Zoological Garden, Alipore, these birds face a threat from hunting and habitat loss and are placed under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

These birds are not found in the wild in India or Bangladesh but are an attraction as an exotic species for private collectors.

In Kolkata, a pair of golden pheasants that live in the wild in dense forests and woodlands with sparse undergrowth can fetch more than Rs 40,000. According to the Alipore Zoo, these timid birds prefer to stay away from humans and have a lifespan of 5-6 years in the wild.