The Forest department has stepped up vigil in the 9000-hectare Kondapalli Reserve Forest (KRF) to prevent poaching of Spotted deer and Sambar deer (Philippine Deer) during the summer.
A five-member wildlife task force team led by a Range Officer has been constituted, apart from roping in local communities as ‘informers’ to keep an eye on those believed to be actively involved in poaching the wildlife.
Foolproof methods
Kondapalli, G.Konduru, A.Konduru and Adavinakkala blocks in the reserve forest have been identified as ‘vulnerable’ and poaching of the deer has been recorded in these blocks since 2015. In summer, the deer tend to come out from the forest in search of water, falling prey to poachers.
Poachers earlier continued the hunting under the guise of ‘dog attack’, diverting the attention of the forest officials from active poaching.
“Our exclusive wildlife task force functions round the clock, alerting the locals to keep us informed about the movements of suspected poachers. The local informers will track the movements of the groups that target the deer in the summer,” Krishna District Forest Officer Mr. Ramachandra Rao told The Hindu.
The likely areas to be visited by the deer in the summer have already been brought under the Forest department’s watch.
“The communities surrounding the deer habitats have been explained about the need for conservation of the deer, apart from legal action against those involved in the poaching of the wildlife,” said Mr. Ramachandra Rao.
The Forest department has identified natural water bodies in the forest to fill them for the widllife.