BARIPADA: As many as five Forest personnel, including three drivers, sustained injuries after being attacked by armed poachers in Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary on Wednesday.The incident took place at around 2.30 pm when the Forest staffers were trying to prevent the entry of poachers into the sanctuary in Balasore district.
The injured were identified as forester Jogeswar Habda, forest guard Drubacharan Reddy and drivers Nilakantha Jena, Amarjoti Panda and Rabindra Behera. The three drivers were immediately rushed to Balasore district headquarters hospital after their condition deteriorated.
Kuldiha Ranger Laxman Kumar Pradhan said a group of 100 poachers, armed with country-made guns, bows and arrows, sneaked into Kuldiha sanctuary in the afternoon. After being tipped off about the intruders, a group of Forest personnel in five vehicles went inside the sanctuary and stopped the poachers from entering the dense forest.
The Forest staffers tried to educate the poachers about Wildlife Protection Act and warned them about their offence, but the latter refused to heed any advice and tried to move forward. Soon, a tussle broke out in which the Forest personnel sustained injuries after being attacked by the armed poachers, Pradhan said.
The Ranger informed that the poachers were from Jhiliriboni, Talaghati and Mankadapada areas within Kaptipada police limits of Mayurbhanj district.
Balasore Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Biswaraj Panda said the poachers launched an attack all of a sudden. While one of the Forest staffers has a broken wrist, another has sustained head injuries. Three others escaped with minor injuries, he said.
Panda said a case has been lodged with Berhampur police against the poachers. At least a platoon of armed police should be provided to the Forest personnel to prevent recurrence of such incidents, the DFO added.
