Forest department sues UP man who rescued Sarus crane, puts the bird in zoo
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Amethi: The forest department has filed a case against Arif Khan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh who rescued and cared for an injured Sarus crane. The bird refused to leave him after healing and became part of his family.
The bird and the man are from the Mandhkha village in the Amethi district. They had become popular for their unlikely friendship. The crane is a wild species and Khan thought it would leave after recovering from the injury. However, the bird imprinted on him and refused to leave him. It roamed the village and was always free to leave as per its wish.
The officials on Saturday issued a notice to Khan and asked him to appear at the office of the Gauriganj divisional forest officer on April 4 to record his statement. He is being booked under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.
The bird was taken away and shifted to the Samaspur sanctuary in Rae Bareli. Officials claimed that the bird is now being kept in its natural habitat and the action was taken with the consent of Arif Khan. Divisional Forest Officer DN Singh said Sarus cranes always live in pairs. "Since this one was living alone, there was some apprehension about its well-being."
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference and condemned the Forest department's action. He asked if any official had the courage to take away the peacocks living at the Prime Minister's residence. He also alleged that the crane went missing from the sanctuary a day after it was shifted there and local residents found and rescued it. Officials denied this claim.
Reports said that the crane was found half a kilometre from Samsapur while trying to fend off a pack of feral dogs. Chief wildlife warden Sunil Chaudhary ordered the bird to be shifted to Kanpur zoo. Director KK Singh said a team of doctors examined the bird and said its behaviour is normal.
Khan found the bird with a wounded leg and limp on a crop field near his home in February 2022. Sarus crane is a Schedule 3 protected species and UP's state bird. Speaking about the crane's choice to stay back with him, the 30-year-old said, "I did not hold it captive. The bird got warmth, and love and hence chose to stay and never returned to the wild."