Bhanjanagar: Three poachers were arrested for killing a wild boar using a crude bomb as bait near Kandhasahi on the Belaguntha Road under the Ghumusar North Forest Range in Ganjam district, police said Sunday.
The accused were apprehended from the spot and later handed over to the forest department along with the carcass of the wild boar. Forest officials conducted a post-mortem examination on the animal and launched an investigation into the incident.
According to preliminary findings, the accused had planted a crude explosive wrapped with meat along the banks of the Loharakhandi river to hunt wild boars. Mistaking the bait for food, a boar consumed it, triggering an explosion that tore apart its mouth and killed it on the spot.
Police said the suspects were preparing to butcher the animal when a tip-off prompted officers to conduct a raid. Three persons were arrested in connection with the illegal hunting activity.