Bird smuggler in the net

Disna MUDALIGE

A man was arrested while smuggling flock of Mynas Tuesday evening at Mount Lavinia.

Wildlife Conservation Department officers arrested the man following a tip off from environmental activists. The birds had been transported from Kandy to Colombo in a three wheeler at the time of the raid.

The smuggler, the three wheeler driver and the pet shop owner were arrested on the orders of the Wildlife Department Assistant Director Upali Padmasiri. The suspects produced before the magistrate court were remanded yesterday.

Hill Myna (Lanka Selalihiniya) is an endemic bird species which is strictly protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance. It is also included as a vulnerable species in the IUCN red list in 2007. The myna bird species is illegal to sell within the country.