Forest officials seize cooked venison

Kendrapara, Feb 28 (UNI) Forest officials have seized venison from the house of one Niranjan Bachhada of Kharanashi village under Mahakalapada block of Kendrapara district.

Mahakalapada Forest Range Forester Chittaranjan Khuntia said acting on a tip off forest officials raided and seized about four kg of cooked flesh of deer from Niranjan's house yesterday.

Police raid came after members of the ''People's for Animal'', an NGO, informed them that about the crime.

The NGO activists went to Niranjan's house disguised as customers and purchased three kgs of venison at the rate of Rs 200 per kg before informing the forest officials.

The forest officials buried the cooked meat and registered a case against the poacher under Wildlife Protection Act,1972.

Niranjan had trapped the animal in the prohibited area of the Mahakalpada forest range under the Bhitarkanika National Park.

Sources said Niranjan was in the business for the last two years and the forest officials were trying to nab him for quite sometimes now.

In another incident the Bihtarkanika forest officials on Tuesday arrested three fishermen on the charges of fishing illegally in the prohibited zone of Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary and seized a trawler from their possession.

A ban on fishing in the area is in force from November 1, to May 31 next to protect the endangered Olive Ridley Sea turtles, which come in lakhs for breeding in the sandy beaches of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

All the three were later produced before the Judicial Magistrate First class Pattamundai, who in turn remanded them into jail custody after rejecting their bail petition.

UNI XC-BD PC SYU VC2233