A 28-year-old tribal man belonging to the Irular community was arrested by forest officials for poaching wild animals in Ambur reserve forest (RF) in Tirupattur on Sunday.
Forest officials said one country made gun, explosives, nets, torch lights and batteries were seized from him. It was during a routine patrol in the forest, a five-member team found T. Anumuthu, 28, a resident in Pannakattu village, around 15 kms from Ambur town, deep inside the reserve forest, a prohibited area, at around 7 a.m. on Sunday. The RF is located only around two kms from his village. He was said to be a regular visitor to the RF for hunting. Once he saw the forest team on a jeep, he tried to escape, leaving behind his things. However, the team managed to nab him. “He had all the basic materials for hunting. He might be the regular intruder into the RF,” L. Sankarayya, Forest Range Officer, Ambur range, told The Hindu.
Initial inquiries revealed Anumuthu works as wage labourer in the village. As the income from his job was inadequate, forest officials said that he has been visiting the RF to hunt small wild animals for sale of its meat and hide. He had procured the country made gun from neighbouring Kerala through contacts for hunting of small wild animals. The Ambur RF is known for a large number of spotted deer and wild boar as the RF is a contiguous area of Jawadhu Hills in Tirupattur. A case has been registered under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Later in the day, Anumuthu was produced before the Judicial Magistrate in the Combined Court complex in Ambur. He was sent to 14-day judicial custody and lodged at the sub-jail in the town.
