MADURAI:
Seizure of a leopard pelt at Oddanchatram in the district on Tuesday
has turned out to be a cause of concern for wildlife enthusiasts in the
region as they suspect a network of poachers operating in the region.
In September last year, forest officials seized two leopard skins and three Sambar antlers in Oddanchatram. Five persons were arrested in this regard. In Tuesday's incident, Devathanapatti forest ranger, Karupiah and Tamil Nadu Green Movement joint secretary, S Jayachandran acted as buyers following a tip off. After being led to various locations for the entire day, the kingpin M Ganesan and his accomplices showed up in the evening. They were detained.
"Though we don't see any large scale mafia operating here, we suspect some network dealing with wildlife products. The leopard skin seized on Tuesday was professionally tanned," said Jayachandran. Though it was coincidental that two seizures occurred in Oddanchatram, wildlife enthusiasts feel that it could be a transit point since the town is situated downhill of Palani Hills. In both incidents last year, the big cats were poached in Palani Hills.
"Oddanchatram could be a transit point of smugglers. We learn that there is a gang of expert game hunters in Varusanadu region but they don't operate in the locality. Gangs operating locally could be from Tamil Nadu and Kerala", said C P Rajkumar of Vaigai Association of Nature and Mountain Ranges (VANAM). Wildlife activists feel that forest department with lack of manpower is no match for smugglers.
Wildlife officials too suspect some small gangs operating in the region. "There should be a thorough investigation to trace these gangs of poachers and their network of smuggling", a wildlife official from Theni said. "Most of the time, even if we spot some big cats in forests we maintain confidentiality because poaching mafia has got eyes and ears everywhere," another wildlife official said. But wildlife activists feel that Forest Department crippled with lack of manpower is no match to smugglers.
In September last year, forest officials seized two leopard skins and three Sambar antlers in Oddanchatram. Five persons were arrested in this regard. In Tuesday's incident, Devathanapatti forest ranger, Karupiah and Tamil Nadu Green Movement joint secretary, S Jayachandran acted as buyers following a tip off. After being led to various locations for the entire day, the kingpin M Ganesan and his accomplices showed up in the evening. They were detained.
"Though we don't see any large scale mafia operating here, we suspect some network dealing with wildlife products. The leopard skin seized on Tuesday was professionally tanned," said Jayachandran. Though it was coincidental that two seizures occurred in Oddanchatram, wildlife enthusiasts feel that it could be a transit point since the town is situated downhill of Palani Hills. In both incidents last year, the big cats were poached in Palani Hills.
"Oddanchatram could be a transit point of smugglers. We learn that there is a gang of expert game hunters in Varusanadu region but they don't operate in the locality. Gangs operating locally could be from Tamil Nadu and Kerala", said C P Rajkumar of Vaigai Association of Nature and Mountain Ranges (VANAM). Wildlife activists feel that forest department with lack of manpower is no match for smugglers.
Wildlife officials too suspect some small gangs operating in the region. "There should be a thorough investigation to trace these gangs of poachers and their network of smuggling", a wildlife official from Theni said. "Most of the time, even if we spot some big cats in forests we maintain confidentiality because poaching mafia has got eyes and ears everywhere," another wildlife official said. But wildlife activists feel that Forest Department crippled with lack of manpower is no match to smugglers.
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