Hundreds of Birds Killed at Jatinga to Shoot Film!

Birds were allegedly massacred by villagers at the behest of a filmmaker for shooting his documentary

PUBLISHED: 10:19 PM, 24 OCT 2017
UPDATED: 10:09 PM, 24 OCT 2017

 BY:BNE BUREAU

Jatinga, famous for mysterious birds phenomena, turned into a mass killing field for birds on Sunday night, allegedly at the behest of a filmmaker for shooting his documentary.

Bird lovers and locals alleged that documentary filmmaker Ananda had engaged a foreigner to film the killing of birds in Jatinga. Hundreds of birds were killed by villagers in exchange for money given by Ananda, they alleged.

The protection force of the Forest and Environment department immediately rushed to the spot, rescued a few birds and released them. According to ACF Tuhin Langthasa, in-charge of the protection force, a large number of birds visited Jatinga on Sunday but were killed as Ananda, who introduced himself as a documentary filmmaker, encouraged the villagers to put up lights and attract the birds, although there is a ban on using lights during the period when birds migrating over long distances visit Jatinga.

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'Star Wars: Episode VII' filming on Irish island causes flap with bird conservation group

A bird conservation group is feeling a disturbance in the Force as "Star Wars: Episode VII" began filming Monday on a remote Irish island.

As director J.J. Abram's cast and crew hit Skellig Michael — a World Heritage site — bird watchers are crowing over the production timing of the shoot in the midst of mating season for the island's feathered population.

"They've gotten their permissions, but we're curious about what precautions they are taking to protect the nests," Dr. Steve Newton of BirdWatch Ireland told the News.

Newton is particularly concerned about two species of birds — manx shearwaters and storm petrels — that are nocturnal and nest underground in hidden burrows. "The question I would pose to the authorities is, 'How can you assess the impact on these species if you can't even see them?'" Newton said.

The island has been designated a Special Protection Area, although it does attract tourists — 13,221 last year, according to Ireland's Independent newspaper — between May and September.

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