Udupi: Forest Department apprehends three poachers

Udupi: Forest Department apprehends three poachers

Mangalore Today News Network

Bramhavara, February 15, 2025: Forest Department personnel of Shankaranarayana Range in Udupi district recently arrested three poachers who were allegedly attempting to hunt wildlife in Vandaru village of Brahmavara taluk.

A team led by Shankaranarayana Range Forest Officer K.C. Jyothi arrested Vasim Akram, Ali Bava and Yasin from Shiroor in Byndoor taluk, said a statement from the department. The team recovered one rifle, 11 live cartridges, four knives, one machet, one torch, three mobile phones and one autorickshaw. The accused were produced before the jurisdictional magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody till February 17, Ms. Jyothi said.

The department personnel had found intestine part of a wild animal in September last in the forest area near Vandaru. Upon examination by an authorised laboratory, the part was found to be that of a Gaur. The department found through mobile phone location that the very same accused were present at the spot and was looking for them.

The department said the accused were habitual poachers and had allegedly hunted wild animals in Udupi, Shivamogga and neighbouring districts. Acting on a specific information, the department nabbed the accused in the forest area of Vandaru while they were attempting to hunt wild animals, it said.

Kundapura Deputy Conservator of Forests K. Ganapathi, Assistant Conservators Prakash Poojary and G.D. Dinesh guided the investigation and arrest, the statement said. Byndoor and Siddapura Range Forest Officers Sandesh Kumar and Ganapathi V. Naik and their staff too had joined the nabbing operation.