Two arrested for wildlife hunting

Chikkaballapur, NT Bureau: Two people who were allegedly involved in wildlife hunting were arrested by the police at Mannarapura forest area. A 70-year-old shepherd alerted the cops following which the officials chased and nabbed the accused.

The incident took place when Srinivasappa was returning home with the herd from the forest area when two of his goats ate explosives-laced eatables and died. Following this, goats and sheep ran helter-skelter.

Soon, two of the hunters appeared from their hideouts and confronted a shocked Srinivasappa. He raised an alarm and confronted them with his sickle, but they tried to attack him in a bid to escape. But, sensing trouble, the duo left the bike and fled from the scene with one of the dead goats.

Srinivasappa informed the villagers, who reached the incident spot and took the bike left by the accused before alerting the police. The forest officials reached the spot, and while examining the bike, a pack of explosives fell and exploded. Two of the forest staff sustained injuries in their hands and legs.

The Chikkaballapur rural police rushed to the spot and, based on the bike’s registration number, tracked down Nagesh, 56, a wildlife hunter from Chintamani and his associate Narayanaswamy, 35, who owns a chicken shop in Chickballapur.

The duo used to source explosives from their contacts and place them in the forest area to hunt down wild boars and other animals, said the police.