Seven Held for Peacock Poaching in Yadgir Forest
Yadgir: In a significant crackdown on wildlife crime, the Karnataka Forest Department arrested seven men on Saturday night for allegedly hunting peacocks in the Baggalumadu forest region near Motanahalli. The operation, which followed a period of surveillance, resulted in the recovery of two dead national birds and a cache of firearms.
The individuals apprehended have been identified as Ningappa, Vasudeva, Kareppa, Kantappa, Yallalinga, Basavaraj, and Mallappa. The group, aged between 25 and 36, reportedly travelled from various villages within the Chittapur taluk of the neighbouring Kalaburagi district to carry out the illegal activities.
Surveillance Leads to Raid
According to Yadgir Range Forest Officer (RFO) Burhan Uddin, the department acted on a tip-off suggesting that a group of armed individuals had infiltrated the Baggalumadu forest area with the intent of poaching wildlife.
“We received credible information regarding poaching activities in the area. Our teams maintained a close watch on the forest fringes before launching a targeted raid,” Uddin stated. The forest personnel successfully intercepted the group in the darkness. During the subsequent search, officials recovered two peacock carcasses along with six guns suspected to have been used in the hunt.
The seven suspects were detained on the spot and transported to the local forest office for interrogation. Following preliminary questioning, they were produced before a magistrate on Sunday, who ordered them to be held in judicial custody for 14 days.
Illegal Firearms Recovered
The investigation into the seized weaponry has revealed a concerning aspect regarding the provenance of the arms used by the group. While one of the seven men managed to produce a valid firearm licence during the inquiry, the remaining five weapons were identified as illicit, country-made guns.
Forest officials have now initiated a deeper investigation into the origin of these weapons. “We are currently investigating the source and ownership of the illegal firearms. Our teams are working to determine if this was a one-time incident or if this group has been involved in a larger poaching racket,” the RFO added.
Wildlife Protection Act Invoked
The forest department has registered a formal case against the accused under the strict provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which mandates severe penalties for the killing of protected species. The peacock, being India’s national bird, receives the highest level of legal protection under the country’s wildlife statutes.
Authorities are now looking into potential accomplices and wider networks that might be facilitating such illegal hunting operations in the region. As the investigation continues, forest department officials have reiterated their commitment to intensifying patrolling in the Yadgir range to prevent further ecological damage and to ensure the safety of the local wildlife population.
The incident has sparked alarm among local conservationists, who are calling for stricter vigilance and better coordination between the forest department and law enforcement agencies to curb the proliferation of illegal country-made firearms in the district.
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