Two persons were arrested on a charge of poaching a leopard during a surprise raid in reserve forests on Pachalur hills near Oddanchatram on Tuesday. Leopard bones were seized from the spot.
The arrested were Chinna Murugan (40) and Vaali (43) of Magilanuthu village on Pachalur hills.
Talking to media persons, District Forest Officer D. Sampath said a 12-member team visited Magilanuthu village and nearby areas to identify poachers and monitor their movement. With the help of the local people, the team set a trap and arrested the two.
After investigation, the team found that the accused poisoned the remains of a goat hunted by the leopard in reserve forests, expecting the animal to come back to eat the meat. The next day, the leopard consumed the poisoned meat and died in a remote place. The forests officials trekked four kilometres on the northern slope of the hill and found leopard bones.
Initially, the two poachers told the officials that they only removed the pelts of dead animals. Later, they admitted to their crime.
Arresting the poachers was very difficult as a majority of smugglers and middlemen did not meet the poachers. Poaching and smuggling were done at different places. Moreover, arresting the middlemen would not deter the poachers. Continuous monitoring and tip-off from various sources helped trap the poachers. Cases were registered against the duo under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, he added.
The arrested were produced before Oddanchatram Judicial Magistrate Court, which remanded them in 15 days’ judicial custody.
It was a follow-up action after the arrest of a smuggler and seizure of the pelt of a leopard in Oddanchatram on January 6. A 4.5-foot-long pelt of a leopard, with nails intact, was seized and M. Ganesan of Gandhi Nagar was arrested in Oddanchatram, Mr Sampath added.
Forest officials had arrested only the smugglers and the middlemen earlier. Five persons, all smugglers, were arrested and two cured hides of leopard and three horns of deer were seized during a raid in Oddanchatram in September last year. Leopard population was high on Lower Kodaikanal, Pachalur and Sirumalai hills, sources said.
