Sambher, a protected animal under wild life, of Tiger Reserve Palamu was hunted on Saturday at Karma Toli under buffer zone of the tiger reserve. On getting tip off about the hunting of Sambher DFO buffer Mahalinga and other Mahuadarn range officials swung into action and recovered the carcass including uncooked and partially cooked mutton and its skin.
Sources said it was a tough task for Mahaling and other officials to recover this as the entire menfolks of Karma Toli had abandoned their houses fearing action. Five village hunters were identified who were later arrested on Saturday afternoon. Confirming this DFO buffer Mahalinga said the animal was killed for feast and its mutton was generously distributed among the tribal folks.
He said some had finished consuming its mutton some were planning to cook it when the officials swooped down on them as mutton in pressure cooker was seized added the DFO. It is most pertinent to speak here that field director PTR M P Singh has gone on record saying that villagers kill wild life just for sport and never realize that it is a big offence.
DFO buffer said the five arrested are tribal and have been identified as Alvinus, Awinash, Ajit Kumdan and Sudheer. All the five are from villages Sale and Karma Toli. The forester has framed the offence report only under sections of Wild life Protection Act 1972.
Section 9 of this Act has been invoked which prohibits hunting. This prohibition of hunting is accompanied by three other sections 39, 50 and 51. All these four sections relate to hunting and destruction of wild life. The five have been remanded in judicial custody on Sunday. Mahalinga said the situation was tense when our men went to the village to nab the hunters and so we had to take police force with us.