Bear cub poacher arrested in Orissa

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http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/environmental-services/200712126144.htm

Dreaded Bear Cub Poacher - trader arrested in Orissa along with weeks old

baby Bear

In a nail biting sequence of events that appeared to be out of a hollywood

thriller, a bear cub poacher - trader was arrested from the middle of

Rehrakol town in a joint operation conducted by the Orissa Forest & Police

Department with assistance & intelligence from Wildlife S.O.S, a Delhi-based

NGO. The highlight of the drama was the rescue of a tiny 2-3 week old Sloth

Bear cub from a sack!

 

New Delhi, Delhi, IND, 2007-12-11 15:06:24 (IndiaPRwire.com)

In a nail biting sequence of events that appeared to be out of a hollywood

thriller, a bear cub poacher - trader was arrested from the middle of

Rehrakol town in a joint operation conducted by the Orissa Forest & Police

Department with assistance & intelligence from Wildlife S.O.S, a Delhi-based

NGO. The highlight of the drama was the rescue of a tiny 2-3 week old Sloth

Bear cub from a sack! The cub had not even opened his eyes and was obviously

stolen from its mother who may have been killed by the poachers. The seizure

was performed by senior officers from the Orissa Forest and Police

Departments who were accompanied by the Wildlife S.O.S anti-poaching unit

team called *Forest Watch*!.

 

For the past three weeks, informers from 'Forestwatch', Wildlife S.O.S's

Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (run in collaboration with One Voice

Association-France) had been patrolling and maintaining a vigil on the

Wildlife smugglers and wildlife trading routes in the towns & villages that

are on the edge of the forested areas of Rehrakol and Sambalpur districts of

Orissa, where sloth bears range naturally.

 

As cubs are born in the period November to February, the poachers strike

during this period, either stealing the cubs when the mothers are out or

more often than not killing the mothers to protect themselves from the anger

of the vicious mother trying to protect her cubs!

 

However, late yesterday afternoon (10 Dec 2007) the Wildlife S.O.S (WSOS)

intelligence team received confirmed information that a bear cub was in the

hands of a trader named Jumman Khan in Rehrakol. Further information was

received that alarmed the WSOS team – the trader Jumman Khan had further

demanded from tribal poachers to poach and bring to him atleast 4 more bear

cubs. Something had to be done immediately. Three hours from this moment,

the WSOS anti poaching team was on a plane headed to Orissa.

 

Hitting the ground running in Orissa, amidst an exchange of frantic phone

calls between senior officials in the Forest Department and the Police,

discussions with the PCCF(Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden - Mr. S C

Mohanty, IFS and the Superintendent of Police - Mr. Sanjay Kumar, IPS were

contacted. The WSOS Anti-poaching team drove all night and reached the town

of Sambalpur in the wee hours of the morning (11 Dec 2007).

 

With no time to catch up on sleep, the bleary-eyed Wildlife S.O.S team met

with the Conservator of Forests - Sambalpur Mr. Rajeev Kumar, IFS to draw up

a game plan. The 2 vehicle team soon left for Rehrakol along with

DFO-Sambalpur - Mr. P.K Jha, IFS. After a quick meeting with the local

police team led by Mr. Sushil Kumar Panigrahi of the Rehrakol Police

Station, a convoy of three vehicles were on their way to the rendezvous.

 

An sms from the Wildlife S.O.S surveillance team gave the team visual

confirmation of the traders and the bear cub. What happened next was all

high drama and done in a flash that lasted less than a minute! A convoy of

three unmarked vehicles and the police jeep descended into Rehrakol,

screeching to an abrupt halt at the spot of crime. In an avalanche of

plainclothes & uniformed officers – the trader Jhumman Khan was arrested and

bundled into the vehicle and the bear cub was confiscated. Another person by

the name of Rafiq was picked up for questioning. The vehicles disappeared as

rapidly as they came proceeding towards the police station for questioning.

 

The guttural cries rescued of the tiny bear cub, whose eyes are yet to open

was heart wrenching for everybody present. The WSOS team and the forest

department immediately made arrangements for the feeding & care of the bear

cub.

 

According to Mr.Rajeev Kumar, IFS, Conservator of Forests-Sambalpur " The

Orissa Forest Department shall not tolerate such illegal trading of

wildlife. The intelligence provided by Wildlife S.O.S in conducting this

seizure has set an excellent example of how networking and coordination

between the Forest Department and the NGOs can aid in combating wildlife

crime. "

 

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder, Wildlife S.O.S said, " Wildlife S.O.S is

committed to ensuring that bear cubs are not poached and they do not leave

the forest. In achieving this objective we shall leave no leaf unturned. We

are grateful to the Orissa Forest Department and the Police for their

support that resulted in this superbly executed seizure. "

 

The accused has been booked under various sections of the Indian Wildlife

Protection Act, 1972, under which trading in Sloth Bears is punishable with

imprisonment up to 7 years.

 

'The interrogation of the accused Jumman Khan is in progress and we hope to

unravel more links into the notorious Bear-cub poaching racket in this

region " said Mr. Shankar Bahra, DFO-Rehrakol who reached the location just

after the seizure was completed.

 

*- End -*

 

*Wildlife S.O.S* is an Indian Non-Governmental organisation working in the

field of Wildlife rescue and Rehabilitation since 1995. Our main project is

the rescue and rehabilitation of 'dancing bears', which are Indian Sloth

Bears exploited by a gypsy tribe, called Kalandars for street entertainment

purposes. In collaboration with the State Forest Departments, Wildlife

S.O.Sruns the World's largest Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre for Sloth

Bears in Agra alongwith 4 other centres in Bhopal, Bangalore West Bengal and

Hyderabad. Working in tandemn with the government law enforcement agencies,

including state forest departments, Wildlife S.O.S has rescuedaround 400

Slothbears from leading miserable lives with Kalandars.

 

With the recent extension to the Agra Bear Rescue Facility, we hope to

eradicate the profession of 'bear dancing' by rescuing the remaining around

around 400 bears off the Indian streets and rehabilitating the bear dancers

as well, so that they and their generations to comedon't revert to 'dancing

or poaching bears' ever again. Join hands with us in giving both man and

animal a life of Dignity and Freedom!!! The Bear Rescue & Kalandar

Rehabilitation Programs of Wildlife S.O.S are primarily funded by

International Animal Rescue. Other international partners areFree the Bears

Fund Inc – Australia, Humane Society International- Australia and One Voice

Association, France.

 

For more, visit our website, www.wildlifesos.org