The Forest Department personnel of Anandpur Wildlife Division of Keonjhar district seized two elephant tusks and arrested two poachers from bordering Satkosia reserve forest area of Mayurbhanj district in this connection.
Based on a tip-off, the officials conducted a raid in Satkosia area under Thakurmunda police station limits and apprehended the two poachers. The accused were identified as Babuli Haiburu of Mahuldiha and Kalandi Sankhual of Sunduria.
The Forest Department inquired in detail about the tusks. It is suspected that the poachers collected the tusks after killing the elephants from Similipal or Satkosia reserve forest area. Involvement of people outside the State in the tusk racket is not ruled out.
Divisional Forest Officer, Anandpur, Abhay Kumar Daleoi said, “The accused were forwarded to court. We are investigating in detail more about the involvement of any other poachers in the incident and their link with others.”
According to the sources, there are many elephants that have been reported dead in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj district, with some of them having been allegedly killed by poachers. Many times, the Forest officials recovered the decomposed carcasses, days after their death.
