(IN) Poaching racket unearthed in Gir revenue area; Extra-ordinary courage shown by women to save her children from Leopard in Gir Forest Area

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15-12-2007

Poaching racket unearthed in Gir revenue area

Indian Express By Sibte Hussaqin Bukhari

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Poaching-racket-unearthed-in-Gir-revenue\

-area/250604/

 

Junagadh, December 14: After the lions, now it's the turn of other wild

animals to be hunted along the periphery of the Gir sanctuary. The poaching

racket – running rampantly in the revenue area, adjoining Gir forest, and

unearthed by the forest officials – was involved in the killing of spotted dear,

wild boar, porcupine and the peacock.

" A hunting racket was running in the revenue area – on the outskirts of

Aankolwadi village falling under the Aankolwadi range some 25 km from Talala

town in Gir West forest division, " said B P Pati, deputy conservator of forest

(Gir west).

 

He said the gang was also found involved in illegal wood cutting deep inside

the forest. Three persons, including a woman and the owner of the agriculture

land, where all poaching activities took place, were arrested in this connection

on December 10 and 11, but some eight-nine involved in this crime are still at

large.

 

" During interrogation the accused revealed that some eight-nine people are

also involved in this racket. We have carried out raids at different locations

but they are still at large. Efforts are on to nab them soon, " Pati said.

 

Forest officials recovered deer skin and venison, wild-boar teeth, peacock

feathers, knives used in slaughtering the animals, hunting materials including

traps and electric wire, and teak wood from the three accused. They have now

been booked under various provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and

sent to two days custody.

 

According to Pati, the three admitted to having killed till date, four deer,

two porcupines and one wild boar. " We have recovered spotted deer skin, venison,

wild-boar's teeth, traps and material used in electrocuting wild animals, from

their possession, " he said.

 

Jayram Akbari, owner of the land said, he along with Rani and Dinu Devipoojak,

the other two arrested, killed the animals by electrocuting them. After the

kill, the carcass was handed over to the other gang-members. He said most of the

people involved in the crime belong to the Devipoojak community and were locals.

 

Rani and Dinu are also resident of Aankolwadi village. Authorities have

recovered peacock feathers from their possession. " We have recovered peacock

feathers from them. It is presumed that they have poached the national bird, "

Pati said, adding that these locals don't have any connection with professional

poachers, unlike Madhya Pradesh's tribal gang. " They are not involved in

poaching of big cats. It seems that, basically, their aim of killing deer, wild

boars, porcupines and peacocks are, to use and sell its meat and for trophy.

During the raid conducted on Jayram house at Aankolwadi village, we also

recovered some 35 CFT teakwood - worth rupees 35 thousand, " said Pati.

 

The punishment for these offences is imprisonment between three to seven years

and fine or both, he added.

 

 

 

 

15-12-2007

Extra-ordinary courage shown by women to save her children from Leopard in Gir

Forest Area

Gujarat Samachar (Briefly translated from Gujarati)

 

December 14, Junagadh: A women was living with her family in a tent in Sugar

cane farm in Savni village in Talala Taluka. She had come with her husband from

outside Gujarat state to work as labour in agriculture farms. They were living

in tent with their three children (one to four years old). She was aged about 30

years.

 

On Thursday night her children were sleeping inside and she was sleeping

outside near the gate of the tent. Her husband Fakirabhai had gone out for the

work.

 

In the mean time, on chilly night, she was awakened by noise of leopard trying

to enter the tent. She courageously tried to block the way of leopard. In turn

leopard attacked her furiously and seriously injured her. During this fight,

noise awakened other people and the leopard ran away.

 

Later she was admitted to the hospital and had about 40 stitches on her

wounds.