Green Minute News
Forest officials thwart attempts to snare wildlife in Palar Range. Situated on the Karnataka-Tamilnadu border, Palar Range in MM Hills wildlife Sanctuary has often been subjected to attacks by trigger happy poachers and snaring of wildlife by meat gangs from across the border.
Three poachers’ attempt to remove snares which had been installed for catching wildlife a day before was foiled. This time, the field staff during their patrolling duty saw unusual activity of these persons who were trying to remove snares in Vanahunasepatti and Doddane forest beat of Palar Range in the Mogavara forest areas.
In this range, the Palar River divides the two states of Karnataka and Tamilnadu as also the wildlife and territorial ranges respectively. And in fact, this divide has aided many gangs to hunt wild animals in one state and escape to the neighboring state. There are organized gangs thriving cross border and operating in Palar (Karnataka) and Erode (Tamilnadu).
Speaking to Green Minute, DCF, MM Hills Wildlife Division V Yedukondalu said, “Palar being an inter-state range is facing problems with the adjoining area in Tamilnadu being a territorial range. Poachers from Tamilnadu as also people having connections in Palar are involved in hunting of spotted deer, sambar, wild boars, pangolins, hares and other wildlife. Not just Palar even the adjoining Rampura range is vulnerable and we are maintaining strict patrolling measures.”
According to Palar range officials, regular patrolling by the field staff has proved to be fruitful and it was easy to catch offenders when they heard some noise on Sunday during their night rounds in this area. “Closer inspection revealed three men removing the snares that were laid overnight for trapping wild animals. Under the cover of darkness, two offenders managed to flee while one of them was apprehended.
Raj Kannan aliasChinnappan, (74 years) from Halemartalli village, Kollegal Taluk, Chamarajnagara district who confessed to his crime was arrested by forest officials. On interrogation, Chinnappan admitted to laying the snares overnight and clearing them in the morning. All the articles used for trapping wild animals including wires, nails, etc were also seized from this offender.
Two other offenders -Nagesha alias Kariyappa and Putta alias Piniyappa, who hail from Doddane village and are around 30-35 years, are still absconding.Range officials have booked a case in this regard and the arrested offender produced before the local court. All the seized articles were further collected as evidence to support the case against the three persons.
The DCF adds, “With stringent measures in place, every month, we are booking some 3-5 cases of hunting in these ranges. With 40 anti-poaching camps in this region, we have all the required facilities and carry out foot and highway patrolling regularly with 18 vehicles. ”
These poachers should be quickly convicted. Hope the courts take cognizance of the fact that these poachers have been taking advantage of the overburdened courts & getting away with it.