Chennai: A pelican was seriously injured, and another one died after being attacked by unidentified miscreants at Korattur Lake in the last two days.While the first incident occurred around 9am on Saturday on the west side of the lake, the second bird was attacked at noon on Sunday on its eastern side. Residents suspect that the birds were being hunted for meat.“The first bird, weighing 6kg, was taken to the veterinary clinic in Guindy’s Children’s Park, where it died in the evening. It was injured near the beak, around the neck. The second bird, weighing more than 4kg, was injured below its eye, around the same region. We are shifting it to the vet hospital, said a forest department staff member.While a section of residents said the miscreants used pellet guns to attack the birds, assistant district forest officer Elango ruled out the possibility. “It looks like the birds are being pelted with stones. We are sending a squad team to the spot to investigate it,” he said, adding that miscreants could be punished under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972).Meanwhile, the incidents have renewed demands to declare the lake as a bird sanctuary. “This has been our long-pending demand. Several migratory birds come to Korattur lake, and the only way to protect them and take stringent action against miscreants is to transfer the control of the lake from the water resources department to the forest department,” said S Sekharan, Korattur Eri Padhukappu Makkal Iyakkam.
