HUBBALLI: Three alleged poachers from Telangana were apprehended by locals and the police in Bidar on Monday, days after three persons were shot dead by forest staff during an exchange of fire inside the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The development comes amid questions raised by the families of the three deceased persons over the circumstances surrounding the firing.
The other three cases of poaching were reported from MM Hills Sanctuary, Mariyammana Palya village in Vijayangara and Gundlupet in Chamarajnagar. While one person was arrested in Gundlupet for possessing tiger nails, three were held for poaching wild boar in Vijayanagara. In total, eight people have been arrested in the past month. One of the accused in the MM Hills wild boar poaching case sustained a bullet injury to his right leg after forest personnel opened fire while he was attempting to flee.
This is the fifth poaching attempt and arrest from Karnataka in the past 30 days. Forest officials said that they recovered one male blackbuck carcass and seized two vehicles. The officials said at least three people are absconding.
The increased demand for wild meat in the state and adjoining areas has spurred attempts at wildlife poaching in the state. As per the wildlife experts, the focus of the forest department must change from protection of carnivores to herbivores such as great Indian gaurs, sambar deer and spotted deer, which have become vulnerable to poaching in the past few years.
“Post-Covid, the hunting scenario have changed. More than trophy hunting, the hunting gangs and individuals are looking at gaurs and deer for meat. Killing of an adult gaur can fetch up to 5,400 kilos of meat, which is sold anywhere between Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per kg.
Which business will give you such returns overnight? It has become a headache for the forest department,” said PM Muthanna, a wildlife conservationist from Kodagu. BK Singh, former principal chief conservator of forests, Karnataka, said that Chamarajnagar is known for wild meat hunting. “Despite several people-friendly measures, there are many in Hanur and surroundings who take any kind of risks to poach wildlife. Night patrolling should be a must, and the government should stand by the guards in the Hanur shooting case,” he said.
The officer said that there is enough proof to show that the trio who were shot dead in Hanur had ventured into the forest for hunting. “Many hunting events are planned a day before national holidays like August 15 and January 26. Even during the festivals, the hunters plan raids as many local foresters will be visiting the head office for flag hoisting,” Singh said.
CHURCH SEEKS JUDICIAL PROBE INTO HANUR ‘POACHERS’ DEATH
Bengaluru: The Christian community has urged the state government to order an independent judicial inquiry into the deaths of three men who were allegedly shot by Forest Department personnel in the Chikkallur Reserved Forest area of the Cauvery Wildlife Division in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, on Saturday.
The Archdiocese of Bangalore stated that while it does not condone trespassing, poaching, hunting or other unlawful activities in protected forest areas, such allegations cannot by themselves justify the use of lethal force. While a murder case has been registered, the statement said that no Forest Department personnel have been named as accused.
Archbishop of Bangalore appealed to the state government to institute an independent judicial inquiry headed by a sitting judge. The community also sought adequate compensation for the families of the deceased and employment for an eligible member of each bereaved family as immediate humanitarian support.