Imphal: As the winter sets in a good number of migratory birds have started visiting Loktak Lake and its associated wetlands in the state.
This also means that a number of bird poachers are lurking to trap and kill the birds at their opportune time.
Based on getting a piece of information about attempting to trap and kill the winged birds, the Manipur police in conjunction with the Joint Coordination Committee on Wildlife and Environmental Biodiversity, (JCCWB) launched a campaign.
The campaign was carried out at Uchiwa and Bengoon Khulakpa Leikai, a part of the Loktak at around 6 am on Wednesday.
Over two dozen nets typically made of terylene netting and are suspended in the air strung between vertical poles were recovered in the campaigns that ended at around 9 am on Wednesday.
However, the poachers managed to escape from the scene when the campaign started.
The JCCWB convenor Romesh Singh told the newsmen that they had seen a number of migratory birds start flogging at the wetland in and around Loktak Lake during the past few days.
He also warned that if anyone is found trapping and killing birds and wildlife animals, they will be handed over to authorities concerned for imparting punishment under the Wildlife Act 1972.
Notably, last year, the most sighted visiting birds (duck) were the Coot (Porom) and the Lesser Whistling Duck (Tingi) while less sighted birds include the Northern Pintail, Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall, and Greater Scaup.