The forest officials arrested two persons who hunted Indian hares and Indian pittas, both endangered species listed under schedule IV of the Wildlife Act.
Anti-poaching watchers were on routine patrolling in the Uppur mangrove forest area when they detained a person who was in possession of four Indian hares and 30 snares, used for trapping the hares, Range Officer S. Ganesalingam said.
He said the accused, identified as S. Kalimuthu (40) from Narikudi in Pudukottai district, had laid the snares at the mangrove forest area on Monday night and was caught red handed on Tuesday morning when he visited the area to take back the hunted hares, he said.
As Indian hare was listed in schedule IV of the Wildlife Act, they released the accused after imposing a fine of Rs. 5,000. One of the four hares died and it was buried in the forest office complex, while the three other hares were released in the mangrove forest near Devipattinam, he said.
In another operation, Forester (Kilakarai range) Innasimuthy detained A. H. Mohideen (38) on the charge of hunting Indian pittals at the Puliantharisu forest area, using a metal barrel filled with clay soil balls, he said.
He was found in possession of two birds, one of them dead. The forest officials released the live bird in the same area, he said adding the accused was released after he paid a fine of Rs. 5,000.
