Oct. 5: In a midnight raid, sleuths of Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) caught four poachers including two habitual hunters from Tamil Nadu. The carcass of a black-naped hare and a few weapons used to hunt the animals were recovered from the gang who were active in the same area for the last few years. Incidentally, three weeks ago, the tiger reserve staff had unearthed over 40 snare traps laid to catch smaller mammals.
Hanumanthappa, deputy conservator of forests, BTR, said the accused Kamala Kannan from Salem, Krishnan from Ooty, Bomma and Manju, who live near Bandipur, were arrested in Boodhikatte forest area of Gopalaswamy Betta Range following a tip-off.
“The gang was caught when they drove inside the tiger reserve in a car (TN 34-K 8103). Two carcasses of black-naped hare, battery, knives and clubs were found with them,” the officer said.
Conservationists say this is a cause for concern as it reveals how poaching continues unabated in our forests. “Hare and many other small mammals act as suitable prey for tigers and other carnivores. Hunting them with traps is taking a toll on their numbers. This could in turn affect the tiger population in BTR,” said a worried conservationist.
Officials from BTR said since most of the snares were recovered from Gunre and Begur ranges night vigilance has been increased in these areas. “Patrolling using elephants has also been started in forest areas which are non-motorable due to the rain. We are also trying to cover the main roads as the absence of vehicle movement at night could help the poachers use the main road,” said an official from the reserve.
Meanwhile, the CID forest cell is planning to restart an inquiry into tiger deaths in the Bandipur forests over the last two years. There have been eight tiger deaths in the last three years, and the post-mortem reports on some of the animals contradicts the crime scene records, CID officer said.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/sleuths-trap-4-poachers-bandipur-tiger-reserve-207
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