New Delhi. As Diwali approaches, a beautiful bird, the owl, is in danger. Every year at this time the smuggling of owls from the forests of Uttarakhand increases. To stop this, the Forest Department has increased patrolling in the Timli range and is keeping a strict vigil on the poachers including those who catch them.
Actually, due to worship and superstition on the occasion of Diwali, smuggling of owls increases. Some people believe that owl parts are used in tantra-mantra, which increases the activities of smugglers. It has become a common thing for smugglers to be active in smuggling of owls in the Timli range of Uttarakhand. This area shares borders with many states. Due to this, it has become a special destination for owl catchers, poachers and smugglers.
Several teams of the forest department are patrolling throughout the night in Timli range under Kalsi forest division. Forest Range Officer Mukesh Kumar said that we are completely alert and strict action is being taken against the poachers. Due to our surveillance in Timli area, many smuggling attempts have failed. In this regard, department officials say that the price of owls reaches lakhs during Diwali, due to which the activities of smugglers increase. Due to this, a huge decrease in the number of owls has also been observed. Keeping in mind the decreasing number of owls, the Forest Department has decided to increase patrolling and keep a close watch on smugglers. Apart from this, Forest Department teams are also ready for the protection of owls in the forests. The Forest Department has issued an alert to stop smuggling of owls in Timli range.