nThe Bhitarkanika National Park has become a safe haven for poachers and taxidermists as poaching of animals for meat has been going unabated in the park area. The kiling of four wild animals, including three wild boars and a spotted deer in last 72 hours proves this.
The wildlife lovers feared that if such uncontrolled poaching continued then the hoofed animal population would come down at Bhitarkanika. In the latest incident, the forest personnel of Kanika Range led by forester Kapilendra Pradhan on Monday nabbed two persons and seized a 4 feet long hide of a spotted deer from their possession.
While the taxidermists were carrying the hide in a polythene bag and were moving in a bike near Dhodhoya Cakkua chowk under North Mahisamada Forest block within the park, they were chased and nabbed. The forest personnel also seized the bike. The duo taxidermists were identified as Biswajit Mandal(30) of Kanaka Nagar and Mithun Parida (28) of Sailendranagar.
They were sent to jail custody after their bail petition was rejected by the Rajnagar JMFC court.On Sunday, the forest personnel of Rajnagar Range had also seized a wildboar carcass, weighing 25 kg, from a pond located at the backside of house of a poacher at Bagapatia village. The forest personnel also had arrested two poachers in this connection. Similarly, on January 1, as many as six persons had been arrested for killing two wild boars. According to sources, poachers are active in the forests of Rangani, Pravati, Kantiakhai,Barahapita and Subarnapur. Mostly poachers from Khamarsahi, Budadiha, Pravati , Gupti, Jarimula and Lanjuda areas trespass into these forests, kill the hoofed animals and later sell the meat in the local market or outside.