Farm labourer, son arrested for ‘hunting jackal, wild boar’ near border of Gir forest: Police

The father-son duo were arrested by forest officers after parts of the carcasses of a jackal and a wild boar were recovered from their hut. Forest officers also recovered feathers of peacock and partridge, some snares and net for trapping animals, four axes, three spears, one sword and a patila in which meat was cooked, officials said.

The duo were booked under various sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for allegedly hunting a jackal, a wild boar, and birds whose hunting is prohibited.

“As their three-day remand ended, we produced the two accused in a court in Mendarda on Monday. The accused filed an application seeking bail. However, the court rejected their plea and instead sent the two men to judicial custody for 14 days,” Yuvraj Vala, range forest officer (RFO) of Dedakadi, said on Monday.

The jackal enjoys the highest legal protection by virtue of it having been included on Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and conviction in such an offence can lead up to seven years of imprisonment. Wild boar is a Schedule-II animal and its hunting can lead to jail term extending up to three years.

“The two accused don’t seem to be part of any organised gang of poachers but the investigation has revealed that they were hunting small mammals for eating them,” Prashant Tomar, deputy conservator of forests (DCF) of Gir (west) wildlife division, said.

Forest officers said that the father-son duo are natives of Godhampur, a village adjoining Datran. “The two accused had also used electric fencing to protect their crop and were using snares to trap animals,” the RFO said, adding, “The place from where recovered parts of jackal and wild boar carcasses is around seven km away from the border of Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary.”