Forester shot dead by poachers inside Odisha’s Similipal Tiger Reserve
The incident occurred at around 2 am near Gamchacharan beat camp under Upper Barahakumuda range inside the core area of the STR famous of royal Bengal tigers, when a team of six forest department officials were carrying out patrolling.
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The forester was hit by a bullet after one among the team of six poachers suddenly opened fire following a confrontation with the patrolling team In second such incident in less than a month, a forester was shot dead by poachers inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Friday midnight, said forest department sources.
The incident took place around 2 am near Gamchacharan beat camp under Upper Barahakumuda range inside the core area of the STR famous of royal Bengal tigers, when a team of six forest department officials were carrying out patrolling.
The deceased forester is identified as Mati Hansda, 45, who was posted at Barahakumuda range. He was hit by a bullet after one among the team of six poachers suddenly opened fire following a confrontation with the patrolling team, said regional chief conservator of forest (RCCF), Similipal division, Prakash Chand Gogineni.
“Our patrolling team, which was also armed, retaliated though the poachers fled from the place. He was rushed to the Karanjia Hospital where doctors declared him dead at around 3.30 am. A case has been registered in connection with the incident,” Gogineni told The Indian Express.
The RCCF said they have already identified the people, who were involved in the attack. Police sources said they have detained three suspects while combing operation in the area is continuing to trace others.
On May 22, a forest guard Bimal Kumar Jena, 40, posted at Baunsakhala bear under Pithabata range in the core area of Similipal sanctuary was also shot dead by the poachers during patrolling. Three persons were arrested in the incident.
Gogineni said there has been intense patrolling in critical strategic locations inside the core area of STR spreading over 2700 square kilometres because of which the patrolling team came face to face with the poachers.
STR is the only home of these melanistic Royal Bengal Tigers (RBT) in the world. RBT apart, the STR website says it’s the abode of more than 1253 species of flowering plants, 99 species of non-flowering plants, 21 species of amphibians, 62 species of reptiles, 361 species of birds, 55 species of mammals and many species of flora and fauna still to be identified. Forest officials admit that the STR has turned into a hunting ground for the poachers.
On June 1, body of a tribal youth, who was killed inside the tiger reserve, was recovered. While the family members and villagers alleged that the the youth was killed by the forest officials, forest department sources said the deceased was part of a gang of poachers.
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