Rare animals on sale
20-11-2009 The Daily Star, Bangladesh
It is a weekly pet market. Bird lovers gather here to buy pigeons and other species of birds and animals on Sundays. Except traders of pigeon and poultry, huntsmen also gather here to make a profit with birds held from different villages. Some of those birds are sold as pet, while others are meant for meat.
These wild birds and animals, trade of which is forbidden by law, are sold at random in the market just beside the Tongi Bridge, Gazipur. Photo: Shawkat Jamil
Even wild birds and animals, trade of which is forbidden by the law, are available in this market located just beside the Tongi Bridge.
Endangered hilly myna, Alexandrian parakeet, blossom headed parakeet, rhesus monkey, kalim, pond heron, cattle egret, spotted dove, mongoose and many other species of birds were found during a recent visit.
According to the Wildlife (Preservation) Act, 1974, it is prohibited to kill, trap, capture and trade wild birds and animal and the act is a punishable offence.
The Department of Forest is now working on formulating even a stricter law to conserve the country's wildlife. According to the law, anyone will face a fine of Tk 1,000 and six months in prison for capturing, killing, possessing and trading of wildlife.
But the government agencies concerned generally never try to implement the wildlife laws as open trade goes on in Kataban, Tongi pet markets on large scale and elsewhere on limited scale.
A pair of pond herons is available in Tongi only at Tk 250 and cattle egret at Tk 300.
Bilkis Hizra was found there buying three pond herons. "Heron meat is very tasty. I often buy herons from here if I have money," said Bilkis, who bought three birds and had them slaughtered in front of this correspondent.
Minhaz, a juvenile from Cherag Ali, Gazipur, came to the market to sell a captured mongoose. "I will sell it for Tk 800," he said, initially asking Tk 1,200 for the animal.
Besides selling wild birds and animals, some traders were also selling bird traps and trained birds.
One of them, Moqbul Mia demanded Tk 1,500 for his bird trap and a trained dove.
The traders say they never face any problems selling the forbidden wildlife at this Sunday market.
(Bron: http://www.thedailystar.net/)
(Bron foto: Daily Star)
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