Two poachers caught with head, skin of sambar in Rajsamand

India: The forest department arrested two poachers and seized a chopped head, skin and body parts of a sambar, and weapons from them at Todgarh-Raoli Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhim tehsil of Rajsamand. There were seven poachers in total, but five of them managed to escape.

 

Forest ranger Prema Ram Chaudhary said the men could be members of some interstate animal poaching gang. They shot the sambar and skinned its body with an axe. The head was chopped off, indicating that it was meant to be sold as trophy.

 

"There are sambars in good numbers in the sanctuary. There is a fresh water nullah flowing in a part of the sanctuary. Due to the easy availability of water and grass, the deer species can be seen in flocks during most of the day. The poachers managed to shoot down one of the animals. Our team nabbed them while they were cleaning the skin. But five of them escaped," the ranger said.

 

As per the latest census, there were 65 sambars in Todgarh-Raoli sanctuary, wildlife activist Anil Rodgers said. "Deer and sambar body parts fetch good money in the domestic market. People buy the stuffed head to adorn the walls of their living rooms," he added.

(Source: The Times of India)