Following Thursday’s arrest of a six-member poachers’ gang, the Forest Department squad has intensified its probe to nab those who hunted wild animals in the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary. Some of the local residents who allegedly colluded with the miscreants too are under scanner.
According to Forest Department officials, poachers will not be able to cross forest borders without the knowledge of local residents. “We have enough reasons to believe that the poachers are from our own villages who hunt animals for quick money,” they say.
The department has also decided to improve night vigil with the support of more watchers on vulnerable stretches. A rapid response team is also in action to conduct quick searches in suspected areas.
Farmers’ complaint
Meanwhile, the crackdown by the Forest Department has irked a section of local farmers living closer to forest areas. According to them, the Forest Department squad is treating all farmers as poachers.
A farm organisation leader from Thiruvambady says there were also incidents in which forest officials refused to take quick action when upland farmers complained of wild animal attacks as the officials allegedly treated them as poachers’ allies. Even a differently abled farmer who complained of wild animal attack had such a painful experience from the Forest Department staff, he says.
