MYSURU: A 26-year-old poacher was shot dead by forest staff in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in the wee hours of Sunday. Foresters said Manu, a resident of Bhimanabeedu in Gundlupet taluk, was killed in the crossfire near Channamallapura road in Madduru wildlife range in the tiger reserve. The incident took place between 3.30 a.m. and 4 a.m. when poachers were escaping with the meat after killing a sambar deer inside the forest.
Madduru wildlife range is attached to the Kerala border. The informers had tipped the foresters of possible poaching by youths from forest fringe villages. Based on the information, alert foresters along with staff took up patrolling and a team was also stationed at the nearby anti-poaching camp.
On Saturday night, a gang of around eight to 10 poachers entered the forest area with country-made barrel guns, machetes, and other weapons. Traveling deep inside the forest in the dark, the gang had managed to hunt a sambar deer. The gang after removing the skin were carrying meat in bags when they were noticed by the foresters on patrol.
A team led by RFO Mallesh asked the gang to surrender, but as the gang started to fire at the forest staff, the guards fired at the poachers. While the gang started to escape leaving the meat and weapons, poacher Manu was hit by a bullet fired by the guards. He collapsed and died on the spot. The foresters tried to apprehend the others, but they managed to escape in the dark.
BTR director Ramesh Kumar along with ACF Ravindra, Chamarajanagar SP Padmini Sahu, Gundlupet inspector Parashivamurthy, and others rushed to the spot. The foresters recovered 120 kg of meat, a single barrel gun, a few cartridges, and other weapons from the spot. Gundlupet police have registered a case.
Foresters said a few youths living in forest fringe villages in Gundlupet taluk are active in poaching. The youths sell the meat in Gundlupet, Mysuru, and Kerala.