Chhattisgarh man held, surveillance up in Sathy
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Deccan Chronicle
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Ooty
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25 Jul 2012
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Following the DC expose on poachers
Movement in Mudumalai Tiger Reserves (MTR), the wildlife department on Tuesday arrested a man and has intensified surveillance in the nearby Sathyamangalam tiger reserves.
Sathyamangalam is a waterhole for large wild mammals, where forest
brigand Veerappan was shot dead a few years ago. According to Thengumarahada forest
Ranger G. Vidyadharan, the wildlife wing arrested Rohit Singh, 22 hailing from Chhattisgarh. He was nabbed by the forest team for moving in the jungles of
Thulankanpatti, at Thengumarahada, last week. Investigations revealed that he clandestinely entered the jungles with metal wires to set up snares to trap tigers and panthers, he said.
It appears he has connections with a gang of such inter-state tiger poachers who were arrested at BTR tiger reserve in Karnataka,bordering Tamil Nadu, in the first week of July. The investigation is still on to establish the links among the poachers, he said.
"Following intelligence that a few north Indians were on the prowl in south Indian tiger reserves, combing operations by anti-poaching watchers were intensified in
Sathyamangalam,"said Mr N. Sathish, district forest officer, Sathyamngalam. The foresters are scanning all the temporary shelters in the Sathy area and suspicious people are being interrogated. So far, all the wild cats in Sathyamanagalam and Bhavani Sagar area are safe, the DFO added.
Mr. B.K. Kumaran, president of the Nilgiris Ecology and Animals Protection Samithi, urged foresters to close all jungle guesthouses in Siriyoor, Aanaikatty, Thengumarahada and the fishing hut in Mukurthi until the poachers are nabbed. The forest department should strengthen its inelligence wing to monitor the movement of outsiders and suspicious elements in the jungle borders, he suggested.
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