Officials seize sambar stag carcass in Karnataka's forest range as poachers flee

Chikkamagaluru: While people stay indoors to be safe from contracting COVID-19, a gang was busy in poaching activities in Kadur forest range of Chikkamagaluru wherein forest officials seized carcass of a Sambar Stag, a vehicle, equipment among others on Tuesday.

The seizure was made at Yemmedoddi in Kadur range and recovered about 80 kgs of Sambar meat.

Forest officials identified the gang of poachers as Yogesh, Anand, Shantakumar and Dinesh who fled from the spot when police arrived.

Yogesh and Anand are said to be habitual poachers and forest officials are gathering details on their previous poaching cases and a search is on to trace the accused persons who managed to escape when forest officials and sleuths of the District Crime Investigation Bureau raided a place at YemmeDoddi.

Honorary wildlife warden of Chikkamagaluru Veeresh adds that this gang allegedly used to poach deers, sambar among other herbivore animals and supplied meat to users in cities. A case against the accused person has been filed under Wildlife Conservation Act.

“We are sure that this gang was engaged in poaching activities in the region for some time and equipments seized from the spot indicate that it was an organised gang in poaching,” stated deputy conservator of forests Jagannath.

Meanwhile, Gundlupet Range forest officer Lokesh and his team arrested three-poachers who were allegedly poaching rabbits and sambar in Bandipur National Park buffer zone.