India: In the latest wildlife offence, forest officials have made a seizure of 4 kilograms of venison and arrested a poacher today from seaside Batighar forest block close the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Kendrapara district.
Balai Bhakta (55) was arrested with the raw meat and animal’s hide. He was a member of a poaching racket active in the area. Some other members of the racket have evaded arrest. They have been identified and search is on to arrest them shortly, said forest officials.
Acting on specific information that poachers had hunted down a spotted deer in the mangrove forest areas within the park, the wildlife offence was cracked, said forest officials.
The accused booked under sections- 9, 27, 29 and 35 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is being forwarded to court. The accused along with his accomplices had spread out nylon nets with loops to ensnare the deer and wild boar. The gang was actively indulged in wildlife poaching activity in recent past. They were adept in the poaching of wild boar and deer species.
The poachers often trap the mute animals by spreading nylon ropes in the mangrove forest and its nearby areas and kill the deer. Some poachers also use trained dogs to kill the spotted deer, said sources
(Source: The Samaja)