SAMBALPUR: Amid heightened vigilance following the recent sighting of a Royal Bengal Tiger, Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary authorities and Bargarh police conducted raids and search operations across five villages and adjoining forest areas, arresting two alleged poachers.
Around 70 personnel from the Forest department and the police conducted the operations on November 10 and 11, acting on intelligence inputs to prevent poaching and illegal wildlife hunting.
The arrested persons are residents of a village bordering Debrigarh in Bargarh district. The team seized animal traps, snares, around 3 kg of electric hooking wire, 2 kg of cable wire and two bundles of animal-trapping nets. Preliminary information suggests the accused were planning to hunt leopards and had laid traps inside the sanctuary.
“Joint search operations, raids, seizures and arrests will continue as part of sustained efforts to strengthen wildlife protection through coordinated enforcement involving the forest department, police and local communities,” said Anshu Pragyan Das, DFO, Hirakud Wildlife Division.
The search operations scanned the sanctuary boundaries using metal detectors and live-wire detectors to locate concealed weapons, electrical traps and other potentially dangerous equipment.
The sanctuary authorities have announced a cash reward of `1,000 for anyone providing credible information about poaching or suspicious activities threatening wildlife. Informers’ identities will be kept confidential.