SAMBALPUR: Cracking down against wildlife trade, a patrol team of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary nabbed five poachers while collecting sambar antlers and other articles inside the protected area on wee hours of Friday. The forest officials seized a gunny bag full of horns of sambar deer from their possession. The antlers were believed to have been shed by the deer that the poachers had collected and were also looking for buyers, when they were nabbed.
Divisional Forest Officer of Hirakud Wildlife Division Anshu Pragyan Das said, the poachers had entered Debrigarh Sanctuary late in the night for hunting as well as collection of sambar and deer antlers, skin of animals and bison horns. Getting a tip-off through VHF from Khajuria area, an 18- member night patrol team of Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary arrested them near Ushakothi area under Chourasimal section.
The team seized 10 horns of sambar deer, gunny bags, five big knives, axe, wires, two traps and as many motorcycles from possession of the poachers.
Debrigarh has a high-density bison and sambar population. Besides, spotted deer and leopard numbers are equally high too.“Poachers usually enter the sanctuary to collect wildlife trophies after hunting them or from animals already killed by predators or during infighting. Antlers are also shed by the deer which is a natural phenomenon,” she added. The DFO said the wildlife trade has a link with Chhattisgarh as the articles are moved from the region to the neighbouring state. The poachers arrested on Friday lived in a place which is close to Chhatisgarh border and it was safer for them to smuggle, she added.
During interrogation and analysis of their mobile phones, it was found that poachers are regularly involved in trade of skins, horns and hair. There were a number of contacts and groups related to the trade on their phones. “We are investigating to ascertain where they were selling the wildlife articles,” Das added.
The poachers were identified as Sushil Bag, Hrushikesh Pradhan, Panchanan Padhan, Mukesh Bhoi, Santanu Sahu of Samardhara and Runipali villages near Bhatli area of Bargarh district. On September 17 last year, officials of Hirakud Wildlife Division had nabbed two poachers and seized skins of Asian Monitor Lizard and antler of a sambar deer at Mundakati village in Bargarh.