Bhubaneswar, Feb. 5: Three months ago, 45-year-old Dibakar Behera received the prestigious Biju Patnaik Award amid thundering applause. He was a poacher-turned-protector of fowls in the Chilika lake.

Behera had set an example for many others like him and a cash award of Rs 1 lakh along with a citation was a small prize for his efforts. That was on October 3 last year. Last Friday Behera was caught with two birds — a Gadwall and a Shoveller — both falling under protected species. Behera, who is president of the Sri Sri Mahavir Pakshi Surakshya Samiti, an anti-poaching organisation, was on his way back from the lake when a joint team of forest officers and committee members nabbed him red-handed.

“There had been complaints about him for quite some time and our people were keeping a tab on his activities,” said divisional forest officer Abhimanyu Behera.

Ironically, the DFO himself had recommended Dibakar’s name for the Biju Patnaik award.