Sniffer dog pressed in to detect sale of wild animals' meat in PTR village markets
The Palamu Tiger Reserve has embarked on a mission driving a point home if a poacher gives a slip to guards in the tiger reserve, he is set to be caught in the village market when found with meat of deer and wild boar.
Officials of the tiger reserve Palamu are now pressing in its highly trained dog squad to detect sale of meat of deer and wild boar at the village markets which are held in the vicinity of the tiger reserve.
The tracking dog Honey, having months long rigorous training at K9 training centre at Panchkula ITBP was on the job at the village market at Chhipadohar on Tuesday.
Sources said as winter has set in, there is a strong demand for meat of deer and wild boar.
P K Jena deputy director north division of the PTR said, “Our Honey had a detour to the village market. She knows the smell of meat of deer and wild boar.”
"Our detouring of dog squad is to serve two purposes. First to instil fear that sale of meat of deer and wild boar on detection and seizure will mean immediate arrest and legal action." added the PTR officer.
Further the movement of the dog squad will deter people from poaching and subsequent merchandising to the proceed of the wild life sources said.
Jena said, "Till date we have not found meat of deer and wild boar on sale at village markets nevertheless our drive will go on.”
Meanwhile, the state government has notified Satyajit Singh principal chief conservator of forest and chief wild life warden as HoFF which is head of the forest force.
The challenges before the new HoFF are to strengthen the bond between the forest officers and the public, which is most wanting and again to save forest land from being encroached upon.
Sources said a piece of forest land is seen as one where one can erect one's bamboo and tarpaulin only to make it a hut over a period of some weeks.
Satyajit Singh has a reputation for a no nonsense approach. He is looked now to free the forest lands being used for cultivating marijuana.
