The Forest department officials arrested four youths, for poaching tigers, leopards and other animals in the forests under Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary and BRT Tiger Reserve.
The accused are Mahadev, 28, and Kumar, 20, of Nellikatri village, Mahadev, 22, and Rangaswamy, 23, of Gombegallu village, Hanur taluk. Their three accomplices are at large.
The officials also seized bones, claws, tiger pelts and deer skin from them, when they were trying to sell them.
Four tiger claws, bones of a tiger, claws of a leopard, two deer skins, skins of two wild goats, two jumping squirrel skin and others were seized. Two motorbikes used for the crime have also been seized. All four are said to be Soliga tribal people.
This is said to be the biggest poaching haul in Chamarajanagar district in recent years. Six people were arrested in connection with the theft of tusks in 2012, at Kau
dalli range. In 2016, one was held for poaching a leopard, using a snare, and its pelt was recovered.
Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary Deputy Conservator of Forests V Yedukondalu said, “The accused had been collecting bones and parts of wild animals since a few years and were caught, while trying to sell them.”
“The operation was conducted jointly by the officials and staff of MM Wildlife Sanctuary, BRT Tiger Reserve and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. The other three accused will be arrested soon,” Yedukondalu added.