Chinkara poachers on the prowl

Rajkot: Gunshots rented the air and flashes of torchlights could be seen from long distances as over 100 forest department staffers and locals launched a hot pursuit for three poachers following a tip-off that they were camping in the Mityala range forest near Khambha to kill chinkaras (Indian Gazelle) on Saturday night.
Dramatic scenes were witnesses as one of the poachers shot dead a a gazelle right in the front of the teams even as two managed to flee in the dark forest. While one poacher was nabbed, two of his accomplices managed to give the foresters the slip and escaped into the dark.

The foresters recovered the carcass of the black buck and it was sent for forensic postmortem. Chinkara is a protected specie under the Wildlife Protected Act.

According to the forest department officials, Dashrathsinh Rathod (27), a local, had received specific information about three hunters roaming in the forest of Mityala range in the revenue area on the fringes of Bhad and Ingorala villages. The poachers had two guns and a torch. After confirming the information, Rathod imeediately started calling up the forest officials, most of whom did not respond to the calls. He then called up range forest officer T Karuppasamy, who immediately swung into action.

“Karuppasamy mobilized nearly 100 foresters from Savarkundala, Tulsishyam and Dhari ranges and launched a manhunt for the hunters. When they arrived at the spot, they heard four gunshots from a distance. Savarkundala range forest official Kapil Bhatia fired two rounds in the air. When the foresters spotted the hunters, they started to flee. While two hunters managed to give the foresters the slip, one of the them shot dead a gazelle,” said a forest official.

Sources said that a gun was found near Bhad adjacent to Mityala range late on Sunday and forest department team rushed to the

Rathod lodged a complaint in this regard with Khambha range forest department. He also registered a complaint against range forest officer (RFO) of Khambha and his staff for negligence of duty. Rathod alleged that despite repeated phone calls, none of them responded to him.

It is learnt that Karuppasamy has initiated an inquiry against the officials and he may take disciplinary action against them if they are found guilty of negligence of duty.