The Forest Department on Wednesday seized four tiger bones, eight antlers, and eight bundles of snare wires used to trap wild animals inside the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). The officials have pressed into service a dog squad from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to track the accused.
On January 22, the police from Bengaluru City Police had arrested Balakrishna (25), Madesh (28), and Rangaraj (31), all natives of Thiginarai, when they attempted to sell a tiger skin at the flower market in Yeshwantpur.
Inquiries revealed that they had killed the tiger by setting up a trap three months ago in the forest area.
C.H. Padma, District Forest Officer, Hassanur Division, formed a special team led by Talavadi Forest Range Officer to investigate the case. The team recovered teeth and bones of the tiger from Sitharaj (38), a farmer, and arrested him. Three other persons who are part of the gang went into hiding.
On Wednesday, the team carried out searches in the houses of those arrested and in houses of three other accused. The team seized eight deer antlers and eight bundles of snare wires from the house of Rangaraj, and four tiger bones from the house of Balakrishna, who were arrested in Bengaluru.
Small animal snares were also seized from the house of another accused.
