Mohali, India: The wildlife department, Ropar range, busted a poaching ring and caught two poachers with 22 live wild boars in Mohali. At 9:30am on Tuesday, the department received a tip-off about the poachers trapping wild boars. A wildlife team led by divisional forest officer (DFO) Kulraj Singh organised a raid at the poachers’ hideout in Jagatpura village. During the operation, the team successfully rescued 22 wild boars. One had been slaughtered for meat. The arrested accused have ran a meat shop in Jagatpura village, which has been sealed. Chief wildlife warden Dharminder Kumar commended his team for swift action, saying that it was instrumental in thwarting the poachers. Department officials said that the accused were known for capturing wild boars for meat. Chief wildlife warden Dharminder Kumar said, “Our team in Ropar range acted swiftly, saving the lives of 22 wild boars. Wild boar falls under Schedule 3 category and is a protected animal. Selling, storing, capturing and even rearing and breeding of this animal is banned.”

Arrest of the poachers and rescue of the wild boars is a testament to the ongoing efforts of the wildlife department to combat illegal poaching. The department continues to monitor and protect the region's wildlife, ensuring that such incidents are addressed promptly and perpetrators are brought to justice. The two poachers were produced in court and remanded in police custody. The DFO said that they will be interrogated to ascertain where they caught the boars from and for how long they had been poaching the protected species. The wildlife department will also ascertain what they did with the tusks (canines) of the wild boars and where they sold them.

Source: (Times of India)