Barang: Forest officials arrested a man, who has no palms, on charges of attempt to hunt animals and birds inside Chandaka wildlife sanctuary here late Tuesday night.
The accused was identified as Bishnu Charan Pradhan (45), a resident of Baramana of Sundarpur. The forest officials seized a country-made gun, wires, traps and other equipment used for hunting from his possession.
Pradhan along with two of his associates—Chagala Joshi and Aju Joshi—had gone to the forest near Jagannath Prasad Tuesday night. The trio was preparing to hunt animals when, acting on a tip-off, the officials reached the spot. While Pradhan was caught his accomplices managed to flee the scene.
The forest officials registered a case and produced the accused in court. Pradhan is facing many cases of poaching, sources said.
According to sources, there is a spurt in hunting of wild animals inside Chandaka-Dampada sanctuary for the past few of days. The poachers of nearby villages are allegedly going to the forest during night and hunt wild boar, deer and barking deer and sell it in nearby villages.
Although the forest officials have formed squads to keep a tab on the poachers and conduct raids regularly, hunting of animals is going on unabated.
PNN