Green Minute News
In continuing incidents of electrocution of pachyderms in Karnataka, another jumbo was electrocuted in Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru district. While in Chitradurga district, forest officials arrested five habitual offenders for hunting wild boars in Hosadurga taluk.
On Saturday, a tusker was found dead at Hullemane village, Mudigere taluk. The incident happened at Aldur Range in Chikkamagaluru territorial division. Forest officials discovered the carcass at Chandregowda’s coffee estate which is bound by an illegal electric fence.
The tusker aged about to 10-15 years had forayed into the plantation area in search of food and had come in contact with the electric fence erected to protect the estate from elephant attacks but instead killed the animal. On Sunday, the postmortem was conducted and the body cremated as per SOP. For the last decade, this area has been witnessing frequent cases of conflict resulting in death of man and elephants.
BOAR HUNTERS
Early Sunday morning, acting on a tip-off, RFO Hosadurga Pradeep Pawar and forest staff nabbed five wildlife hunters. Three guns and a revolver with ammunition too were seized. One vehicle and 15-20 kilograms of wild boar meat were seized from their possession. Interrogation revealed that these hunters had come to grasslands to hunt wild boars for its skin and meat.
The accused are from the neighboring Alur village, Chikkamagaluru district – Eshwar, Pratap Gowda, Rakesh, H N Dileep and Krishnegowda. They were arrested and produced before the court. The offenders revealed they were into hunting wildlife in the last few years and selling wildlife products wherever possible. The accused were remanded to 10 days judicial custody. According to RFO, they were booked under Wildlife Protection Act and are likely to be booked by Police under the Indian Arms Act for mis-using licensed arms for hunting wildlife.
Dhananjaya A, social and wildlife activist added the offenders were caught with arms and ammunition and later, took the officials to Thonachinahalli village where they had hunted the boars and skinned it.
Initial interrogations have revealed that the five were habitual offenders and they were adept at skinning and selling wildlife meat and other products in city markets. Presently, the ACF is investigating the case.
Put them all in jail for at least 20 years!!