Berhampur (Odisha): Three persons were arrested while setting up an electrocution trap to poach animals in Ganjam district, forest officials said Monday.
Foiling a poaching bid here, officials arrested three persons while they were trying to poach wild animals through electrocution at Mukundapur village under Buguda forest range in Ghumusar south division, officials said.
About 1000-metres of electric wires, bamboo sticks, empty bottles and some explosives were seized from them, a senior forest officer added.
The accused were identified as Kuna Sawin alias Chitrasena, Basant Nayak alias Rabindra and Sudhira Swain alias Pabitra of the same village.
The accused had spread electric wires in the area, while one of the wires was connected with a nearby electric pole with the intention to trap animals passing through it.
"We have detected the illegal hooking during our patrolling in the area. We caught the accused involved in the illegal practice red-handed when they came to untangle the wire" forest ranger Buguda PK Sahu said.
The area has the population of wild boar, barking deer, black buck, while elephant herds and leopards migrate frequently, sources said.
A male elephant was killed by the poachers in the area through electrocution about one and half month ago. Four more pachyderms were also electrocuted similarly in Berhampur and Ghumusara north division areas.
Forest officials have launched an awareness drive among villagers to prevent poaching in vulnerable pockets after the death of at least five animals in 15-day span.
Meanwhile, forest officials yesterday recovered the body of a wild boar from Charimaili under Aska forest range, and rescued another animal from a nearby village. The animal apparently died in road accident, Divisional Forest Officer, Ghumusara south RC Sethi said.
PTI
