Kanika Forest Range officials on Wednesday seized a dead spotted deer near the main gate of the Bhitarkanika National Park and arrested a person for allegedly killing the animal.
Forest officials said the antelope might have been beaten to death as several wounds were found on its body. Kanika Forest Ranger Akhaya Nayak said the deer sneaked from the Bhitarkanika National Park and trespassed into a nearby field of one Nityananda Behera of Bankuala village. As the deer started destroying Behera’s vegetable crops, Behera attacked the antelope after trapping it with fishing net. He beat the deer to death.
The forest personnel later produced Behera before the Rajnagar JMFC Court, from where he was remanded into jail custody, said Nayak.