Kendrapara: With its wildlife thriving, Bhitarkanika National Park in the district has become a target of poachers who illegally hunt wild animals for meat, a report said.
Meat and organs of wild animals are sold at a premium by these poachers. Fakir Mohan Nayak, headmaster of Bagapatia Primary School, was arrested and later remanded to jail for poaching a deer in the sanctuary December 9.
The district education department suspended him from service after he was sent to jail. However, this is not a lone case as the forest department has arrested over 200 persons in over 100 cases this year.
The arrest is indicative of the rampant poaching of wild animals and birds taking place in the sanctuary notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by the forest department.
The curbs have failed to arrest the rampant poaching in the sanctuary and illegal fishing in the sea. Locals allege that there has been a significant rise in poaching in Bhitarkanika with year-end celebrations round the corner.
Poachers and illegal fishermen have become active. They have set their eyes on the wildlife sanctuary to make an easy profit.
Basant Kumar Hati, a resident of Rajnagar, said tourists flock to the sanctuary during Christmas and New Year and enjoy the day.
Keeping the high tourist footfalls in mind, poachers stray inside the wildlife sanctuary to kill wild animals and birds.
Migratory and indigenous varieties of birds flock to Bhitarkanika during winter and their presence makes it a veritable heaven for the poachers. The poached birds and animals are sold in the area and smuggled to Paradip, Dhamra, Jajpur and other parts of the state.
Dolagobinda Jena, a villager, said the fishermen also earn a hefty sum from sale of crabs, fish and rare Olive Ridley turtles caught from sea.
However, poaching of the rare turtles is not mentioned in any of the cases registered by the forest department. Some poachers also lay live electric wires and deploy hunting dogs to kill animals like wild boars, deer, and sambhar.
When contacted, Rajnagar DFO Jagnyadatt Pati said the forest department is aware of it and alerts have been issued to forest range officers.
PNN