‘Man found dead in Similipal a poacher’

BHUBANESWAR: The man, who was found dead by forest personnel in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) on Wednesday night, has been identified as a poacher, forest officials have confirmed.
The deceased, identified as Jagannath Hembram (24) was from Burudisahi village located on the fringes of Similipal. He, along with nine others, had entered the forest to hunt when they encountered a team of 31 forest guards, who were on a special combing operation to look for those who had killed forest guard Bimal Kumar Jena.
“The poachers had 10 hunter dogs, arrows, bows and a gun. The guards fired a single bullet in the air but the poachers were still unmoved. The guards then fired another six rounds in the air. All the poachers fled by jumping a nullah that has dried up in summer,” said Similipal field director Prakash Gogineni.
On Thursday morning, when a search operation was carried out by the guards, Hembram’s body was found. According to police, Hembram had a bullet injury on his body. The guards also found a gun, five arrows and two bows left by the fleeing poachers near the body of the slain man.
While the incident took place 12 days after Jena was killed by the poachers, there has been no let-up in trespassing into the core area by people of the nearby villagers, most of whom are professional poachers. “Why should they (villagers) enter the forests core part — Talabandha — which is close to Chahala? They thought forest department guards will be scare to confront them especially after the guard’s killing. But we will only step up combing,” said a senior forest officer.
Five days after the forest guard was shot dead, Similipal authorities decided not to allow foot patrolling of a group of forest personnel comprising less than 10 guards.