Suspected poacher shot dead by forest officials in Karnataka's Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Forest officials kill suspected poacher at Bandipur Tiger Reserve

A suspected poacher has been reportedly shot dead at Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Sunday. The incident took place around 2 am on Sunday at Chamarajanagar district when the forest officials opened fire at a group of suspected poachers.

Suspected poacher shot dead by forest officials in Karnataka's Bandipur Reserve (Pic for representation)

According to a report in The Indian Express, the villagers informed forest officials about a gunshot sounds at the forest during the midnight. Speaking to the publication, forest officer Ramesh Kumar said, “Our team reached the spot after we got the information about the firing. After we approached the area, the group opened fire at us, and we retaliated. The resident of Bheemanabidu village, Madhu, was shot dead.”

A dead Sambar deer was also found on the spot. “A sambar deer which was shot by the poachers was also found at the location. We are suspecting that a group has ventured into the forest for hunting, and they killed the deer. Further investigation is going on,” said the official.

Wildlife poaching has been a challenging threat to the ecosystem and even to the forest officials at Western Ghats. The tiger population has declined in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot which is yet to be declared an ecologically sensitive zone, according to the estimation report released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. The Western Ghats area is also declared as UNESCO world heritage site and home for many wildlife animals.