Bhubaneswar: Forest officials thwarted a poaching attempt by five in Similipal Tiger Reserve on Tuesday and arrested two of them based on footage from AI cameras installed in STR. The two arrested poachers were identified as Rajkishor Naik (29) and Kalicharan Dehuri (23).
According to forest officials, based on the images from AI cameras, the enforcement team of Similipal swung into action and intercepted the poacher group and arrested the two while three others managed to flee.
While Rajkishor belongs to Nachipur village, Kalicharan is a native of Pagdadiha. Forest officials said that their interrogation is ongoing to ascertain the whereabouts of the other three.
“The team seized five country-made guns and explosives from the spot. During a house raid of the accused, one sambar antler, one spotted deer antler, two snares, one bow and three arrows were seized,” read a statement from the forest department.
In mid-Jan, forest officials also arrested four poachers for allegedly killing a melanistic tiger (black-striped tiger) in Similipal. Forest officials then indicated the involvement of a larger poacher group.
On Jan 18, another group of poachers was arrested in Similipal with boar meat. Forest officials arrested three persons and produced them in court.
These back-to-back arrests come at a time when attempts are being made by officials to improve conservation efforts, particularly for tigers.
In Nov last year, two tigresses — Zeenat and Yamuna — were brought to Similipal to improve the population of big cats. Similipal is home to 27 big cats, including 13 melanistic tigers.