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Bhubaneswar: More than 6,900 poachers were arrested for killing and trafficking of 2,869 wildlife animals during the past 10 years, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia told the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday.
While replying to a question from Congress legislator Taraprasad Bahinipati, the minister said the law enforcement authorities have arrested 6,960 poachers during the last 10 years and seized different body parts of wild animals including skins, nails and horns of tigers, beer, deer, sambar and other wild lives, elephant tusks, and pangolins from them.
While the seized elephant tusks have been stored at the state government's treasury, the other seized items have been preserved at the forest range offices, he said.
The government has formed a joint task force comprising officials of forest and police departments to examine the wild animal poaching cases and take necessary steps, he stated.
In another written statement to the House, the Forest minister said there are 54 endangered species including 17 species of reptiles, 15 species of birds and 22 species of mammals that have been identified in Odisha, as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Data Book.
To protect wild animals in their natural habitat 19 sanctuaries, one national park, two tiger reserves, three elephant reserves and one biosphere reserve have been constituted in the state, he said.
Anti-poaching and anti-smuggling squads equipped with vehicles, arms, and communication networks have been deployed at vulnerable points to prevent poaching and monitor the movement of suspected poachers, the minister said.
Similarly, forest field staff are being trained to improve intelligence gathering in order to prevent poaching of wild animals as well as effective handling of detection and processing of wildlife cases to ensure higher rates of conviction.
Ram Singkhuntia said 24x7 control room has been set up in forest divisions, circles and headquarters level to receive information from the public on wildlife matter 'Vana Samrakshana Samiti' and eco-development committee members, and school students are being motivated to join hands with the Forest department to save wild lives and reduce human-elephant conflict, he added.
Besides, habitat enrichment works are being taken up in forest areas by raising fodder plantations, creation and renovation of water bodies and fire prevention works.