Antlers, venison, sharp weapons seized, poachers escape

Forest sleuths seized antlers, venison of a spotted deer besides sharp weapons used for hunting wild animals during a raid in the house of a poacher at Bagapatia village on the fringes of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary.
The poachers, however, escaped arrest and a search was on, Harekrushna Mallick, the forest range officer of the park, said.
"Acting on specific information that three poachers - Palas Ratan, Dukhi Mandal and Mohan Chand Mandal Bagapatia village hunted a spotted deer in the mangrove forest areas within the park, we raided their houses on Tuesday evening," Mallick said.
"We seized the skin, ten kilograms of deer meat and antlers of a spotted deer from the house of Palas Ratan. However all the three poachers managed to flee from the village before the arrival of the forest officials. We are searching their hideouts to nab them", added the forest officer.

A case has beenm registred gainst all the three poachers under sections- 9, 27, 29 and 35 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 added the forest officer.
The poachers often trap the hapless animals by spreading nylon ropes in the mangrove forest and its nearby areas and kill the deer. Some poachers also use trained dogs to kill the spotted deer.
Five years back, the forest officials had arrested some poachers along with their trained dogs.
As the large population of deer do not get sufficient fodder and water inside the park areas, they often stray into the nearby village fields and water bodies to quench their thirst for which the poachers easily kill them, wildlife activist Biraja Pati said.