According to CIB, Hari Adhikari of Baireni VDC-9, who has been keeping the two Eurasian eagle owls caged at home for a long time, was found bargaining with buyers to sell the birds for Rs 3.5 million. [break]
Dipak Thapa of Nilkantha-2 in Dhadhing and Bikram Shah of Chainpur VDC and Raju Shrestha of Laxmipur-2 in Jhapa district, all of whom had come to buy the birds (commonly known here as huchil), have been arrested red-handed along with Adhikari.
The illegal trade in the Eurasian eagle owl in the national and international market has been on the rise as the protected bird is considered to have medicinal, ornamental and ritual value.
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