Three persons were arrested by the Forest Department personnel on Tuesday for allegedly poaching a black buck and selling its meat in Aska area in Odisha’s Ganjam district, officials said.
One trap, bamboo stick, sword and five kg of black buck meat were seized from them, said Aska forest range Forester B. K. Roul.
The three accused were identified as Simanchal Behera (22), Bishnu Behera (40) of Magurapalli and Bijuli Polia (65) of Nabaratnapur. While Simanchal and Bishnu hunted the black buck, they engaged Bijuli to sell its meat, he said.
Acting on a tip off, the Forest officials seized the meat, he said.
Black buck, an endangered animal, is only sighted in some pockets of Ganjam district in the State.
Total population of the endangered species, locally called as ‘krushnasara murga’ or ‘Bali-harina’ was counted at 3,806 in 2015 as against 2,194 in 2011, officials said. - PTI
