Endangered Bird Tortured To Death In Viral Video, 3 People Arrested

The video of an endangered bird being tortured and killed brutally in India has gone viral on social media.

The horrific incident reportedly took place in the eastern state of Nagaland. A massive outrage was triggered in the state after the video surfaced online showing the attack.

The state police arrested three persons under the Wildlife and Arms Act in connection to the abuse. While reports of the incident surfaced this week, it remains unclear when the incident took place.

“A video of an Endangered Great Indian Hornbill being tortured in Wokha District, Nagaland went viral. After PFA’s intervention, the Chief Wildlife Warden Mr Vedpal Singh arrested the 3 accused under the Wildlife and Arms Act. They will not be released on bail,” People For Animals India tweeted.

In the graphic video, which may be disturbing for many, a man is seen thrashing the bird with a stick. Several people are seen witnessing the incident, but no one intervenes, according to Republic World.

After the video went viral, several animal rights activists called out the district administration for not taking stern actions against the offenders.

The arrests were made after a complaint was filed, UNI India reported. One of the three accused, who have not been identified, was the hunter of the bird.

“It is indeed too cruel and insane to have acted in such a manner and the culprits should be booked with severity under the appropriate section of the Wildlife Protection Act,” the Green Succession of Nagaland State said in a statement, according to UNI India.

An Instagram account by the name "dcpexpeditions" shared the gruesome video with 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 Great Hornbill is an endangered bird, and is marked "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The latest incident came from a state, which is known for celebrating the Hornbill Festival, named after the hornbill -- one of the most respected bird species in Nagaland.

According to IUCN, deforestation is one of the major reasons for this species being listed in the vulnerable category.

“Because of its exceptionally large home range, the species requires extensive tracts of undisturbed forest and is unable to persist in areas where lowland forest has been reduced to small fragments,” it stated.