Bhubaneswar: A couple of Odisha’s Jajpur district has landed in trouble for allegedly violating Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, by uploading videos on social media with langurs.
In an email to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Odisha, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Khurda, Subhendu Mallik, noted that the couple, Badri Narayan Bhadra and Monalisa Bhadra, was a habitual offender and his earlier complaints in this regards have gone unheeded. “The sole purpose of their monkey dramas is to garner likes and views on social media like Facebook and YouTube and earn money through it,” he wrote.
He also questioned the motive of the local forest staff in handling the case. “They are now presumed to be a part of the crime for abetting the couple, who earns lakhs of rupees per month from such videos,” he alleged.
Mallik further questioned the use of ‘Bhagabat-sanctuary forest’ on their Facebook page. “I have no idea if your office has given them the permission to use the term sanctuary. Because an area is declared as a sanctuary by notification under the provisions of Chapter IV of this Act and shall also include a deemed sanctuary under sub-section (4) of section 66 as per the WL(P)A. If the CWLW has not permitted the couple to use the term ‘sanctuary’, they cannot use it because it gives a false impression and information to the public,” he stressed.
He also complained that the couple engaged in hunting of monkey when they are babies and posting dramatised videos on YouTube and Facebook, which is alleged had no educative value and instead promoted and encouraged hunting of wildlife.
Stating that Monalisa was seen taking two langurs to Bageswardham in Madhya Pradesh in one of the videos posted on Facebook, he asked whether they had written permission to take scheduled wildlife to another state. “I request you to act upon my earlier complaints on Badri Narayan Bhadra, Monalisa Bhadra, and the entire production team. I would also request you to attach the properties and money acquired by the couple specifically from the illegal videos on wildlife,” he added.
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