Kanchi foresters tracking quail, partridge poachers

Chennai: Quail and partridge (kaadai and kowthari in Tamil) were once found in abundance in Chennai and Kancheepuram. They have, however, become locally extinct in core areas of greater Chennai due to habitat loss and poaching, say Kancheepuram foresters who are exploring poaching pattern of migratory birds.

On Thursday, foresters also arrested two people near Arakkonam for poaching five partridges and they have sounded the rangers in Kancheepuram to look out for villagers who go after these birds which were once commonly found but now scheduled under wildlife protection act due to the drastic reduction in their population.

“We are exploring facts related to the less known bird species and are also sensitising villagers and gypsies insisting they refrain from poaching. Kancheepuram, Maduranthangam, Paranthur, Chengalpet and Arakonam regions that have lakes have been brought under radar and the offenders are punished with fines and they are detained for further enquiries”, said Sachin Bhosale Tukkaram, district forest officer, Kacheepuram.

So far more than six people have been arrested within two weeks. One Shankar and Bhaskar both from Harikilpady village, Arakonnam were arrested on Thursday for poaching partridges and more arrests are to come, the DFO said.

“Partridge and quail are both endemic to south India and they were traditionally consumed by villagers as they were cheap source of protein, but unchecked hunting of these birds and the severe habitat loss is now threatening the survival of these small birds”, said K V R K Thirunaranan, founder, The Nature Trust.
Earlier, villagers hunted these birds for their personal consumption but the actual threat started when it became a business and this needs to be curtailed, he said.

These are terrestrial birds that suffer maximum damage due to urbanisation and need more protection from villagers, he added.