Warangal: Despite application of modern technologies by the forest department to thwart poaching, illegal killings of wild animals for their meat, skin and nails continue unabated in agency areas along the Godavari river in Mulugu and Jayashankar Bhupalpally districts.
Poachers hunt boars, deer, peacocks, sambars and rabbits and sell their meat to people. They also kill rare species like leopards, pangolins, double head snakes and star tortoises which have great demand in the market.
Even leaders of political parties, people running fertilizer shops and those dealing in wild animals have a common WhatsApp group and carry out illegal business in the agency areas.
Three days back, forest officials caught five people red-handed while they were selling a pangolin for Rs 3 lakh in Kataram mandal. When the poachers were about to sell the pangolin, officials of the Chennai Wildlife Crime Control Bureau tipped off regional deputy director Dr Kirupasankar who in turn alerted the officials of the wildlife control of Hanamkonda and Bhupalpally districts.
Forest range officer P. Bikshapathi of Hanamkonda told Deccan Chronicle that officials of the Chennai Bureau sought their cooperation. They later donned the role of buyers and approached the poachers with their language. Later, the local forest officials nabbed the five accused.
The DFO of Jayashankar Bhupalpally district J. Vasantha told Deccan Chronicle that many steps had been taken to prevent poaching. He said awareness programmes will be conducted in surrounding villages about the importance of wildlife for the sustenance of mankind.
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Three days back, forest officials caught five people red-handed while they were selling a pangolin for Rs 3 lakh in Kataram mandal.
A week back, forest officials nabbed three persons while they were selling the meat of wild boars poached from the Kamalapur forest.
On September 26, forest officials nabbed a person while he was transporting a leopard skin on a motorbike at Chandrupatla in Wazedu mandal.
