BARIPADA: As many as five poachers were arrested and antlers of Sambar and spotted deer seized from their possession by security personnel of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) north division in Mayurbhanj district on Thursday.
The arrested poachers belonged to Kendumundi village under Karanjia police limits in the district.
Deputy director of STR North Wildlife division, Sai Kiran said the poachers were arrested while illegally entering compartment no-TL-3(part-1) in the sanctuary for poaching. “Led by range officer of Kendumundi, the team comprised officials of Kendumundi, Gurguria, Karanjia Range, Dudhiani Range, Similipal Tiger Protection Force (STPF) and local police.
The personnel seized trap nets, two bows, 23 arrows, an axe, and two billhooks, a knife, plastic snare, an antler of Sambar and two antlers of spotted deer.
A case was registered under Wildlife Protection Act-1972 against the five poachers who were produced in Karanjia sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate Court. They were remanded in judicial custody as their bail applications got rejected.
Similipal records surge in waterfowl count
An impressive 26,242 waterfowl, including migratory and residential species, were documented in water bodies under five forest divisions across Mayurbhanj. This was revealed by Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR)authorities after a comprehensive bird census was taken up in various water bodies of the district.
Regional chief conservator of forests and field director of STR Prakash Chand Gogineni said the census report delineated the distribution of waterfowl as follows: 13,342 in Baripada territorial divisions, 7,273 in Rairangpur wildlife division, 4,973 in Karanjia wildlife division, 407 in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) South wildlife division, and 247 in STR North wildlife division. The census covered 32 ranges within the five wildlife divisions across the district.