Villagers Catch Hold Of 2 Poachers Going For ‘Akhand Sikar’ In Odisha’s Similipal Sanctuary

Baripada: Forest officials have detained 2 poachers and seized two country-made guns from their possession in Similipal National Park of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.

According to sources, the three hunters had gone to the sanctuary armed with the guns and other hunting materials in southern part of the sanctuary in the morning.

Some villagers of Kendua village under Sikhabata forest range inside the sanctuary stopped the poachers from proceeding further and detained them. But one of the poachers managed to escape from the village.

On being informed by the villagers, Forest officials went to the village and took the poachers into custody.

Samrat Goud, deputy director, Similipal forest range (southern) said it was an encouraging incident for the Forest department’s efforts to make the sanctuary free of poachers. The department has already arrested 48 poachers in recent times and seized a large number of hunting materials as part of the drive, he added.

It may be noted that the tribals and local villagers have been resorting to mass hunting as part of “Akhand Sikar” before Makar Sankranti as per tradition every year. Armed with traditional weapons, they used to hunt whatever wild animals they would come across at the time.

However, the practice has come down drastically due to consistent intervention of the Forest department in convincing the villagers against killing the wild animals and taking action against the poachers, the sources said.