BARIPADA/BERHAMPUR: Officials of Similipal Tiger Reserve’s south wildlife division arrested six persons for their alleged involvement in poaching on Tuesday.
Forest officials also seized wild boar meat along with bows and arrows from the possession of the accused Lagendra Gagarai, Raisingh Singh Khuntia, Ramdas Dehuri, Dubrai Singh Khuntia, Budhu Kerai and Khejuri Hembram. All of them are residents of Ramjodi village within Karanjia police limits in Mayurbhanj district.
Sources said the six poachers had recently sneaked into Similipal and their images were captured by the camera installed inside the forest. After poaching a wild boar, the poachers came out of the forest and returned to their village.
To nab the accused, a 20-member team of forest personnel raided Ramjodi village on Tuesday and during search, wild boar meat and bows and arrows used to hunt the animal were seized from them.
Deputy director of Similipal south wildlife division Samrat Gowda said a case under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 was registered and the six poachers arrested. They will be produced in court soon. Similarly in Ganjam, officials of Jagannathprasad forest range arrested two poachers and seized the carcass of a wild boar from their possession on Tuesday.
Ranger Sujata Rani Panda said forest officials were informed that poachers had laid live wire traps near Baniapalli under Belaguntha section. A team rushed to the spot and apprehended Bhikari Naik (51) and Khadal Naik (52) with a dead wild boar.
The wires were removed with the help of electricity department staff. Further investigation is underway, Panda added.