UP man who rescued, cared for 'bird friend' Sarus crane gets Forest department notice

UP Forest department has filed a case under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act against Arif Khan Gurjar who rescued a Sarus crane and took care of it for a year, PTI reported.

The bird which lived with Arif, accompanied him to his fields and was accepted 'like a family member' was taken away by the forest department officials on March 21 after videos of them went viral.

The bird was first shifted to a sanctuary in Rae Bareli to allow it to live in its natural environment but was later moved to the Kanpur zoo as it had changed its habits after staying near humans for more than a year, The Indian Express reported.

According to the notice, Arif has been asked to record his statement on April 4.