Baragada: Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary authorities have announced a cash reward of Rs 1,000 for credible information on wildlife poaching, following the arrest of two suspected poachers during a joint anti-poaching operation with Baragada district police.
Around 70 armed forest and police personnel conducted raids and searches in five villages bordering the sanctuary November 10 and 11, acting on specific intelligence inputs. The operation led to the arrest of Ghanashyam Mirdha (40) and Suprasad Sui (48), both residents of Routpada village in Baragada district.
The team seized animal traps, snares, 3 kg of electric hooking wire, 2 kg of cable wire and two bundles of trapping nets. The seized materials were allegedly intended for illegal hunting, with the suspects reportedly planning to poach a leopard after laying traps inside the sanctuary.
The arrested duos, apprehended by personnel of the Lakhanpur forest range, were forwarded to court November 11.
As part of intensified surveillance, forest authorities are also scanning sanctuary boundaries and adjoining areas with metal and live-wire detectors to detect concealed weapons and equipment used for poaching.
The names of the five villages where the raids were conducted have been withheld to avoid hurting local sentiments and triggering retaliatory poaching.
Hirakud Wildlife Division Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Anshu Pragyan Das said intelligence-based raids, seizures and arrests would continue to strengthen wildlife protection through coordinated efforts involving the Forest Department, district police and local communities.