BHUBANESWAR/ANGUL: The Satkosia forest division on Monday detained two persons from Kulangi village in Jagannathpur B beat for interrogation in connection with the death of the two leopards in Pampasar range few days back.
On Sunday, when a forest team led by divisional forest officer (DFO) Saroj Panda went to the village to pick the suspects up, the villagers there resisted the detention and held the officials captive. The forest officials were released only when they assured the locals that the arrests would be made only after having concrete evidence.
Panda informed that there was no evidence against the two persons regarding their involvement in the leopards’ deaths and they were detained only as suspects. “Apart from poisoning, we have also started investigating if the death of the two big cats were due to electrocution,” he said adding, the investigating team suspects electrocution as the reason as over 500 metre electric cable near the village is lying uninsulated.
Besides, it is being suspected that the carcasses were dumped in the nullah after the leopards were electrocuted somewhere else near the village. Honorary wildlife warden for Angul and JTF member Aditya Chandra Panda said it is important that the vacancies of field-level staff in Satkosia be filled immediately to improve patrolling in the area.
“Satkosia is struggling with shortage of field-level staff. Only two forest guards are managing seven beats in the Pampasar range. The patrolling responsibility has been put on the locally-recruited watchers who are residents of the villages inside the Tiger Reserve so it is likely that they are more supportive towards their community members than the department. Under these circumstances, protection of the animals suffer so it becomes essential to fill the vacancies up on a priority basis,” said Panda.