Kendrapara: The forest personnel of Bhitarkanika National Park Friday arrested three poachers and seized a dead male spotted deer from them.
The accused were identified as Pankaj Maity, Suresh Parida of Bagapatia and Ranjan Sahu of Banabiharipur under Rajnagar block.
According to forest officials, the poachers trespassed into the Sunei Rupei forest under Gupti forest section of Rajnagar range and killed a male spotted deer that weighed about 60 kg with sticks and billhooks.
The poachers, after killing the animal, were coming with the dead deer to collect the venison, hide and antlers. Acting on a tip-off, a forest team led by forester Pradipta Kumar Swain conducted a raid and arrested the trio.
The arrested poachers were later produced in the JMFC court of Rajnagar under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and were remanded into jail custody after their bail pleas were rejected, said forester Swain.
The forest personnel later buried the deer carcass after conducting autopsy.
PNN
