Telangana: 16 arrested for poaching a tiger in Asifabad

Nails, skin and other body parts of the tiger and material used for killing it seized from the accused

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Sixteen persons were on Thursday night arrested on charges of poaching an adult female resident tiger at Yellur village in Penchikalpet mandal on March 15. Nails, skin and other body parts of the tiger and material used for killing it were seized from them.

Forest officials said that Rachakonda Lachaiah, Nikade Venkatesh, Lathkari Srinivas, Binkari Venkatesh, Ondre Santosh, Binkari Rangaiah, Burri Venkatesh, Legala Gopal, Katela Sagar, Chappide Pawan Kumar, Elkari Prakash, Rohini Shravan, Elkari Shekhar, Chappide Ashok, Appaji Venkatesh and Appaji Srinivas were apprehended for poaching the seven-year-old tiger named K8. They were from Yellur, Chinnaraspelli, Karji, Agarguda, Amaragonda and Kothaguda villages.

On being interrogated, the sixteen accused persons confessed to committing the crime for making a fast buck by selling nails, skin and hairs of the tiger. They admitted to poaching the tiger by laying an electrified snare. They disclosed that they tapped power from a high-tension power line drawn from 500 meters from the spot of the offence. They told investigators that they poached many herbivores in the past. They were planning to sell body parts to potential smugglers.

The officials said that 14 more suspects were detained and were being interrogated as part of the probe into the incident. They stated that they would invoke the PD Act against the offenders. They warned that stringent action would be initiated against those who hunt wildlife by setting snares. They added that vigil would be intensified to curb the menace, while a watch was going to be kept on habitual offenders.

K8, an offspring of Phalguna settled in the forests of Kagaznagar division in 2019. It gave birth to three cubs in its first litter. It was carrying a pregnancy at the time of being poached. Phalguna, a tiger of Maharashtra migrated to the district and delivered cubs in different litters.