Baripada: At a time when the wildlife authorities are leaving no stone unturned to ensure animals’ security in Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district, two police constables were arrested on Monday for allegedly poaching a female barking deer in the wild division.
The accused have been identified as Purna Chandra Madhei and Hemant Kumar Mohanty and are posted at Sahadevkhunta Police Station in Balasore district.
Forest department officials reportedly caught both Madhei and Mohanty red-handed. “During night patrolling, we nabbed the duo and recovered a dead female barking deer apart from seizing a gun loaded with a bullet and a sharp weapon from their possession,” said Sisir Kumar Behera, Range Officer of Naona south range, Similipal.
Behera further said, “As per their statement, they are police constables but it is yet to be ascertained.”
Earlier on December 7, a school teacher was held by for allegedly slaughtering wild animals in the Kapilasa Wildlife Sanctuary in Dhenkanal for smuggling their hides and body parts.
Two leopard skins, several elephants and wild boar tusks, deer antlers, skins, turtle shells and bear nails were recovered following his arrest. He was later identified as Narendra Kumar Digi- a teacher at Jamuanalia Upper Primary School in Sorisiapada area of the district.
This apart, at least five poachers were arrested by the officials of Dhenkanal Forest division on December 6. As many as four country-made guns, 100 traps, three scales of Pangolin and two deer antlers were seized from their possession.
On November 9, the officials of Tangi wildlife division had arrested two poachers on the charges of hunting migratory birds in Chilika Lake and seized 13 carcasses of the migratory birds from their possession.