Jaisalmer: The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on Wednesday caught a trained eagle that flew from the Pakistan side at the Shahgarh border area of Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district. The eagle had a ring bearing numbers fitted to its leg but no antenna or transmitted was found. The bird has been handed over to the forest department and investigations are on.
It has been learnt that late last evening, soldiers of the battalion of South Sector Dabla of BSF spotted the bird flying into the Indian side and caught it. It is likely that the eagle belongs to the members of the royal families from Arab countries who have recently come to Pakistan areas adjoining the districts of Jaisalmer and Bikaner. These families use such trained eagles for hunting the rare Houbara bustards, valued for their supposed aphrodisiac value.
Till now the BSF has not found any kind of transmitter installed on the bird but further investigations are being conducted. After preliminary investigation, the BSF troops handed over the eagle to the forest department that is currently taking care of it. Also, the ring fitted on the eagle's leg and the numbers on it are being examined.
Birds owned Arab families when they come to camp in border areas of Pakistan for hunting purposes, often fly into India. Pakistani government issues these families permits for hunting in exchange of huge amount of money, sources said.
In the past, security personnel have caught several birds along the border fearing that they have been trained for ill intent. All such birds were later handed over to the forest department.
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