Fourteen more persons arrested for poaching tiger in Telangana’s Asifabad

The accused confess that they used to hunt wild animals by setting electrified snares at streams and irrigation tanks where animals come to quench their thirst

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Fourteen more persons were on Friday night arrested for their alleged involvement in the poaching of a tiger near Yellur village in Penchikalpet mandal ten days ago.

Forest officials said that Tummide Srinivas, Elkari Sugunakar, Burri Thirupathi, Ondre Narayana, Made Madhunaiah, Legala Sathyanarayana, Elluri Lachanna, Moulkar Diwakar, Binkari Tirupathi, Tummide Sattaiah, Peddala Neelaiah, Gavude Shankar, Gomasi Rajanna and Kubide Shankar were apprehended for their involvement in the poaching of the tiger on May 15. They were from Yellur in Penchikalpet mandal, Chinnaraspelli, Karji, Oddugudem and Gerre villages of Dahegaon mandal.

The fourteen confessed to committing the crime to earn some money. They admitted to hunting wild animals by setting electrified snares at streams and irrigation tanks where animals come to quench their thirst in summer. They disclosed that they were tapping power from lines meant for supplying electricity to farms and villages.

On Thursday night, sixteen persons from Yellur, Agarguda, Kottaguda, Chinnaraspelli, Amargonda and Karji villages were arrested in connection with the poaching. Hide, nails, hair, iron wires used for poaching the tiger were seized from them. Two more accused persons were absconding. A search was launched to nab them.

An adult resident tigress named K8 was killed. It was an offspring of Phaluguna. It delivered three cubs in its first litter. It was pregnant at the time of the incident. The district lost a sole resident tiger to poachers. A tiger was poisoned to death, while another supposedly died in a territorial fight in the forests of Darigaon in Kagaznagar mandal in January of 2024.

Forest officials drew criticism for failing to protect tigers inhabiting the forests of the district. Lack of coordination with other departments, vigil on habitual offenders and delay in giving salaries to animal trackers were attributed to the consecutive deaths of the tigers. Environmentalists urged the government to take steps to eradicate poaching of tigers.