GUWAHATI: Three persons have been arrested in connection with the alleged hunting of a hornbill in Assam's Tinsukia district after a purported video of the incident surfaced on social media, prompting action by the Assam Forest Department.
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The arrests were made under the Margherita East Range of the Digboi Forest Division, Assam Cabinet Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said in a post on X on Saturday, June 27.
"Acting swiftly on the Hornbill hunting incident that surfaced on social media, our Forest Department has arrested three accused persons under the Margherita East Range of Digboi Forest Division," Baruah said.
The arrests come days after a video allegedly showing the killing of a hornbill in Margherita in Tinsukia district went viral online. The footage purportedly showed an individual posing with the dead bird, drawing widespread concern and prompting the Forest Department to launch an investigation.
Hornbills are among the protected bird species in India and are safeguarded under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. In Assam, they are primarily found in protected forests and evergreen habitats, though habitat degradation and illegal hunting continue to threaten their population.