Five held for killing wild animals

By Our Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM, APRIL 8. Officials of the Forest Department nabbed five professional hunters and seized two wild animals - sambar - from them, shot in the Makkuva forest area at the Bendapalli checkpost in Vizianagaram district this morning.

The forest officials, including the Range Officer, Mr. Mohd. Shahzama, and the Deputy Range Officer, Mr. N. S. B. Raju on a tip-off, lay in wait at the checkpost and intercepted the vehicle carrying the five- year-old wild animals. They were concealed under pillows. The officials arrested the owner of the vehicle, Syed Ahmed, driver Mohd. Jani, K. K. Faizal, Bobbili Ravi Kant and Thomas Edward, an employee in Leprosy Mission, Cholluru and seized one rifle, a single-barrel gun, bullets and a knife. All the five belong to Vizianagaram. At a press conference, the Divisional Forest Officer, Mr. P. Subhas Chandra Bose, said the hunters seemed to be professionals since they had slit open the stomach of the animals and removed non-consumable portions.

He said non-bailable cases under Schedule 3 of the Wildlife Protection Act would be registered against them and a fine of Rs. 20,000 each. They would be produced in court on Monday.

The accused, present at the press conference, confessed to the crime, and said: ``Unfortunately, the sambar came into our firing range. We had no intention to hunt wild animals.'' However, Mohd. Jani, driver of the vehicle, said he was ignorant and followed his owner's orders.

The Joint Collector, Mr. R. V. Chandravadan, was present.

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