Deer poaching: Country made guns & raw meat seized in Tripura

Agartala, Oct 26:  The Tripura Forest Department has seized three country made guns and suspected raw deer meat during a raid in the North Kasari area, near the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, Wildlife Warden of the sanctuary, Bimal Das said, “Poaching is not a common phenomenon in Tripura. Once in a blue moon, incidents of poaching are reported from the state. However, we keep a regular watch on the forest areas, and even during Durga Puja, five special teams were formed to keep vigilance and thwart any suspected wildlife crimes.”

Das informed that the forest officials had launched a search operation in the area based on a tip-off but failed to arrest two individuals suspected of committing crimes against wildlife. The suspected individuals have been identified as Basi Tripura and Hajar Kumar Tripura.

“We came to know that a deer was killed for human consumption. Immediately, our team rushed to the spot, but the owner of the house where the animal was suspected to be butchered, had already fled. In the presence of village elders, we entered the house and launched a thorough search, which led to the recovery of three country made guns. We have also seized samples of meat kept in a bowl inside a room. Based on our findings, we are in the process of registering a case with the local police station, and a preliminary offence report has been submitted before the Court,” he added.

The seized items were sent to different locations for testing, Das informed. “The guns have been sent to the state forensic lab in Agartala for tests, and the meat sample is sent to Dehradun for DNA testing. Once we get the test reports, we shall submit a final report before the Court,” he added.