Baripada: Poachers have been active inside the core area of Similipal sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district for the last few days.
With sambars and other deer species on their target, question arises over safety measures taken for wildlife in the famous sanctuary.
Now, Makar festival is being celebrated across the district while tribals, keeping with their age-old tradition, enter forests and the sanctuary area and embark on a hunting spree.
After hunting wild animals, they distribute the meat among them. Tribals generally resort to hunting wild animals during Makar, Deepavali and Pana Sankranti.
In view of this age-old practice, the sanctuary authorities step up security. But this time during Makar Sankranti, the sanctuary authorities have allegedly failed to check animal poaching.
Reports said tribals have managed to breach the security cover and entered Sarua beat and Banjabasa beat under Jonabil forest range.
Sources said hunters had killed a sambar and a deer in Master Canteen area inside the sanctuary. Poachers from Podadiha and Antapur in Udala at the foothills of Similipal were involved in the poaching, the sources said.
They have also sold the meat for Rs 250 a kg. Poachers have killed over 20 sambars and other deer on the day of Makar Sankranti.
A few days ago, hunters had killed a barking deer at Tarinibila in the core area. They were also planning to kill bigger animals from tree-top platforms. In the meantime, forest officials came to know about it and raided the area. One poacher was arrested while four others managed to escape.
“Security has been tightened in Similipal, but some hunters were arrested in the core area a few days ago. They had hunted a sambar at the foothills and entered into core area,” said JD Pati, deputy director of Similipal Tiger Reserve.
Now the question arises as to how could the poachers could enter the core area by breaching the security cordon.
In October, 2016, forest officials had raided Bangiriposi area and seized the hide of a leopard. The animal was hunted in Bhajam gate area where the forest department had then set up five temporary camps.
Despite presence of the camps, the forest officials could not get an inkling of the poaching amid allegations that due to lax security measures, wildlife has been facing threat from hunters while smugglers indulge in wildlife hides and body parts trade. PNN