HORRIFIC! Nagaland men torture and kill endangered Great Indian Hornbill, viral video draws huge outrage

The video of the brutal killing of the bird has shocked netizens and evoked massive outrage on social media. The Nagaland police reportedly arrested three people under the Wildlife and Arms Act

Pic courtesy: Pixabay

Kohima (Nagaland): In a disturbing video that has come to light, locals in Nagaland’s Wokha district can be seen torturing a Great Indian Hornbill to death. As per news reports, the Nagaland police arrested three people under the Wildlife and Arms Act for torturing and killing the bird. With increasing urbanisation and climate change, several species of birds and animals have seen a decline in population and the Great Indian Hornbill is also an endangered species. The video of the brutal killing of the bird has shocked netizens and evoked massive outrage.

In the horrific video, a person can be seen beating the Hornbill with a stick and stamping on the bird’s neck. The video was shared by the social media handle @dcexpeditions on Instagram and carried the caption: "What a horrific video. Such a gorgeous bird, endangered and Wildlife Protection Act Schedule 1 species, being tortured and beaten to death!!!. This is the state which celebrates Hornbill Festival."

The video below has disturbing visuals, and viewers' discretion is advised.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DCP Expeditions LLP (@dcpexpeditions)

The video has stunned and shocked the internet and drawn sharp criticism from netizens and animal rights activists. The wildlife division team is conducting further investigations and the weapon used has been seized, while parts of the hornbill have been recovered. The Great Indian Hornbill has been listed in IUCN Red List since 2018 and has been termed vulnerable. 

There has been massive social media outrage as the video got extensively shared. "Need strictest of the action against the culprits," said one netizen while another wrote, "This is horrifying... I thought Nagaland has become better at treating birds... But seems earlier barbaric activities still going on." Another user wrote, "How can humans be so cruel ?"