Balasore, May 25: Five suspected poachers were arrested in Odisha’s Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday after forest officials caught them with a country-made gun, bows, arrows, and other hunting equipment, an official confirmed on Sunday.
The arrests were made near the Chemcheta beat house, following a tip-off generated from surveillance footage. The suspects were allegedly trying to steal a trap camera installed in the forest when their activities were captured by another hidden camera set up by the Forest Department.
According to officials, the department had strategically placed trap cameras throughout the sanctuary to monitor wildlife movement and detect illegal activity. However, poachers had been systematically removing these cameras to avoid detection. In response, forest personnel discreetly installed a spy camera near one of the frequently targeted locations.
On April 28, this hidden camera recorded footage of five armed individuals stealing a trap camera. Based on the visuals and further investigation, forest officers tracked the suspects to the Chemcheta beat area under the Kuldiha range.
All five arrested individuals are residents of Narsingsila village, located near the sanctuary. During the operation, authorities seized a country-made firearm, axes, bows and arrows, gunpowder, a deer horn, and materials used to craft illegal weapons.