11 hunters arrested in Odisha for wild boar poaching with live electricity wires

In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife hunting, the Forest Department on Saturday arrested 11 poachers from the Deogarh forest range for allegedly poaching wild boars using live electricity wire traps.

According to officials, the accused had hooked GI wires to an 11kV power line to trap wild animals. The electric trap led to the death of three wild boars after they came into contact with the live wires.

During a night patrol, forest personnel noticed suspicious activity and carried out a swift raid, leading to the arrest of the 11 individuals involved. Authorities also seized three dead wild boars, GI wires, and other poaching equipment from the site.

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The Forest Department has registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act, and all accused have been forwarded to court for further legal proceedings.

Officials have warned that strict action will continue against those involved in wildlife crimes to protect the forest ecosystem.

“During checking, our forest personnel spotted an illegal hooking. Upon further checking, they found a live wire trapped with around 10—11 people hiding behind the bush. It was an illegal hooking point, and three boar carcasses were recovered from the spot. Later, 11 of the hunters were apprehended, out of whom two had pending cases against their names and were absconding. Now, they have been produced before the court,” informed Swadhinata Sahani, ACF, Deogarh.