Deer killed, poacher held in Bhitarkanika National Park

Forest personnel today seized deer hide, antlers and venison from a village near Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district and arrested a poacher in this connection, a forest official said.

Kailash Das (45) was arrested from Pattaparia village with the venison and the deer hide besides nylon nets used for ensnaring wild animals.

Das was a member of a poaching racket active in the area, the forest official said.

Two motorcycles were also seized from the crime spot.

Three other members of the racket are yet to be traced, he said.

"They have been identified and search is on to arrest them shortly", he said.

The wildlife offence was cracked acting on an information that poachers had hunted a spotted deer in the mangrove forest areas within the park, he said.

The accused along with his accomplices had spread out nylon nets with loops to ensnare the deer and wild boar.

The gang, active in wildlife poaching activity in the recent past, was adept in the poaching of wild boar and deer species, he said.

The poachers often trap the mute animals by spreading nylon ropes in the mangrove forest and its nearby areas and kill the spotted deer. Some poachers also use trained dogs to kill the spotted deer, he said.