4 suspected poachers held for killing endangered hog deer at Kaziranga: Officials
KNP director Sonali Ghosh said they received information about the incident on Tuesday evening and immediately launched an operation to catch the suspected poachers
Silchar: Four suspected poachers were arrested in Assam’s Golaghat district for allegedly killing an endangered hog deer in Kaziranga National Park (KNP), officials aware of the matter said.
Kaziranga forest department officials said that on Tuesday (January 2), a hog deer was hunted and its carcass was found later in Bokakhat of Golaghat district.
KNP director Sonali Ghosh said they received information about the incident on Tuesday evening and immediately launched an operation to catch the suspected poachers.
“Acting promptly upon receipt of this crucial information, a 10-member investigating team reached the spot and recovered the carcass. The poachers were identified by a speciality skilled departmental sniffer dog. It successfully traced the escape path of the poachers,” Ghosh said.
The arrested poachers have been identified as Piyoli Kheriya, Maina Munda, Chaban Gorh, and Bhula Uriya, all residents of Kheriya village under Golaghat’s Bokakhat Police Station.
Ghosh said that they initially arrested Piyoli Kheriya, the prime accused, and during the interrogation, he revealed the names of others and also accepted that he was directly involved in the poaching of the deer.
“The suspected poachers attempted to evade capture by fleeing through a bushy outgrowth resembling forest cover, eventually leading towards Diflu Tea Estate,” she said.
Hog Deer is a Schedule-I endangered species under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and as amended Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.
“Killing Hog Deer is equivalent to killing a tiger as per the law and we have registered cases against these poachers under appropriate sections,” Ghosh said.
Kheriya was produced before the court on Wednesday and was remanded to forest department’s custody. The three other poachers will also be produced before the court soon, officials said.
Forest officials said that in the operation, they found an iron spear, bamboo sticks and some other items allegedly used for catching and killing the hog deer.