Forest department officials have arrested four persons who were reportedly hunting wild boars using homemade bombs in the Periyanaickenpalayam forest range. Police have confiscated six bombs from them and are conducting an investigation.
Forest department officials from Periyanaickenpalayam forest range received a tip-off that a gang is hunting for wild animals using handmade bombs. While on patrol duty, forest department officials intercepted four people on a motorbike carrying a dead wild boar.
The motorbike borne riders identified themselves as Ranagaraj, Gurusamy, Kumar and Muthukumar who are daily wage labourers. The gang confessed having used Avuttukkai, which is a type of explosive to hunt the wild boar. The forest department officials also found six bombs in their position. Subsequently, the bombs and the carcass of the wild boar were confiscated from this gang.
Forest department officials are also on the look-out for a wild elephant who was reputedly wounded by the explosion of the bombs. Eye witness stated that an elephant was injured in its mouth when it tried bite the food that was tied to a bomb. Upon receiving information of this injured tusker, the forest department officials formed patrol teams to identify this elephant and administer treatment. In the meantime, a search for the injured elephant in this forest range has been intensified by the forest department officials.
Wildlife enthusiasts have requested officials of police department and the forest department to take stern action to prevent such incidents in the future.