Wildlife body parts destroyed

The Forest Department has started destroying the wildlife body parts and trophies in its possession.

This is to convey the message and bring down the demand, market and value for trophies retained privately in estates and bungalows as priced possessions. As part of the drive, it destroyed such wildlife body parts and trophies for the second time on Wednesday.

Elephant tush (teeth of female elephants), leopard teeth and nails either recovered from dead animals or seized from offenders, were destroyed by setting fire to them.

Based on the orders of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, in the first phase on March 23, as many as 20 elephant tush, 18 nails of leopards and four leopard teeth were destroyed.

On Wednesday, in a similar drive in the presence of Field Director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), Srinivas R Reddy and Deputy Director Saravanan, 31 elephant tush, 36 leopard nails from Nilakottai, Kargudi, Masinagudi and Mudumalai Ranges were destroyed by setting fire on a forest premises in Udhagamandalam.