Increase in surveillance and monitoring has led to a surge in the detection of poaching cases in M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in recent months.
As many as five cases have been detected during September alone, including one of the biggest racket involving trading in wildlife derivatives that has led to the arrest of seven persons so far.
Recently, another poacher was nabbed in the Hanur buffer zone and 20 kg of deer meat was seized. The accused, Muruge Gowda of Kanchalli village in Hanur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, was produced in court and remanded in judicial custody. A search is on for four of his accomplices in crime.
Villages abutting the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary have a history of poaching for meat.
Local residents had a free run during the heyday of brigand Veerappan when the area was out of bounds for the Forest Department.
But recently, the wildlife wing and the territorial divisions have reclaimed the administrative writ and have clamped down on poaching. Wildlife activists aver that such crackdown will act as a deterrent and these numbers will decline gradually.
“This is a social issue and cannot be resolved overnight but villagers are now aware that killing wildlife for meat is illegal and can land them in prison. Yet, there are individuals who are unable to resist it and this is being addressed through increase in surveillance,” said V. Yedukondalu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.
The local intelligence gathering mechanism has also been strengthened and now the authorities have information about individuals with weapons. “We have a list of individuals who own country-made weapons and will ask them to surrender it,” said Mr.Yadukondalu.
Though there were similar efforts in the past, the department would fall short in collecting evidence admissible in court and the poachers would go free.
“But now we have invited legal experts to train our staff for drafting the case and also collect and present evidence which will increase the conviction rate in the future,” the official said.
There are proposals to increase anti-poaching camps in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, whose notification and upgrade as a tiger reserve is a matter of formality.
M.M. Hills is contiguous to the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and the BRT Tiger Reserve and is a biodiversity hotspot.
Forest protection is the key to ensuring an increase in the number of carnivores like tigers.
“We have 40 anti-poaching camps [each manned by five persons] at present and it is proposed to increase it to at least 50,” said Mr. Yedukondalu.