Ooty: Two youth from Chennai have been fined Rs 50,000 for trespassing into the woods in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) with a car and teasing wild animals there.
Stating that the MTR patrolling team was shocked to find a car in the woods at Kooturaparai area in the Masinagudi range on Sunday, Mariappan, the forest range officer, said that the jungle patrolling team upon nearing the vehicle found that two youths had gone inside the woods and were busy taking photographs in the prohibited area and also trying to tease the wild animals.
The forest teams nabbed D. Surender and V Vignesh of Tiruvanmiyoor in Chennai and seized their car. The duo accepted their offence in trespassing into the jungles and related other offences. A sum of Rs 50,000 was imposed as fine on them and they paid the amount, he said.
Mariappan added that the tourists who happen to travel along the MTR-Masinagudi-Moyar road should strictly follow the jungle traffic norms and should avoid entering the jungles for relaxation and taking photographs as it would attract punishment under the forest and wildlife laws.
