Six Poachers Arrested in Kuldiha Sanctuary Raid; Guns, Explosives Seized
Balasore: In a major crackdown on illegal hunting activities, forest officials arrested six alleged poachers from villages around the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary and seized a cache of firearms, explosives, and hunting equipment during a special operation.
The operation was carried out under the leadership of Soumyaranjan Majhi, Forest Ranger of Kuldiha, following intelligence gathered through hidden trap cameras installed inside the sanctuary.
Officials said the surveillance footage helped identify individuals allegedly involved in wildlife poaching activities.
Acting on the intelligence, forest personnel conducted raids in Babandha and Deunchakhal villages under the Siadimal Panchayat in the Nilagiri area.
During the operation, authorities apprehended six suspects and recovered a large quantity of hunting-related materials.
The seized items included eight country-made firearms, bows and arrows, explosives, animal snares, and traps allegedly used for hunting wildlife inside the protected forest area.
The arrested individuals were identified as Madan Singh, Guruba Singh, Ghana Singh, Sania Singh, and Debendra Singh of Babandha village, along with Mangulu Singh of Deunchakhal village.
Forest officials have registered cases against the accused under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and forwarded them to court for further legal proceedings.
The successful operation highlights the growing use of technology, including surveillance cameras, in protecting wildlife and curbing poaching activities within Odisha’s forest reserves. (Editorial context)
