It appears that an Uttar Pradesh man named Arif Khan Gurjar rescued a Sarus crane and took care of it for a year in Mandkha village of Amethi district. The crane was treated like a family member and accompanied Gurjar to his fields. However, the Forest department officials took the bird away on March 21 and shifted it to the Samaspur sanctuary in Rae Bareli to allow it to live in its natural environment.
The department has now filed a case against Gurjar under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and issued a notice asking him to appear at the office of the Gauriganj divisional forest officer on April 4 to record his statement. It seems that a day after the Sarus crane was taken away by the Forest department, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference where he criticized the department’s action and indirectly questioned whether any official would have the courage to take away the peacocks at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Arif Khan Gurjar, who had taken care of the bird, was present on the dais with Yadav but did not speak. Yadav had previously visited Gurjar and shared pictures of himself with the bird on social media. In response to Yadav’s allegations, Divisional Forest Officer DN Singh said that the action taken was with Gurjar’s consent, and that since these birds always live in pairs, there was concern about the crane’s well-being since it was living alone.
