6 poachers held with guns during raid near Kuldiha sanctuary

Balasore: Six more poachers have been apprehended with five guns and traps used for hunting animals from the periphery of Kuldiha sanctuary in Odisha’s Balasore district, a senior Forest official said on Thursday.

Giving this information on X, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Susanta Nanda hailed the efforts of the police, forest and STF staff engaged in joint operation against poachers in the area. The drive against poaching will continue, he said.

Sources said that Similipal Tiger Protection Force and Nilagiri police apprehended the poachers from the Deunrakhola area in forests of Kuldiha. They were found having five country-made guns.

Earlier the forest officials had raided a gun manufacturing factory and seized four country-made guns along with other equipment for gun making. One person was also arrested in the raid at Mallibania.

The combing operation was launched as a reaction to the firing on forest officials while they were patrolling in the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary on March 18.

Two officials named Khitish Pardia and Biranchi Jena were patrolling with Panchalingeswar bit area forest guard Singhray Hembram when the poachers attacked them.