Hyderabad: Five persons who were arrested with a tiger skin on Saturday have reportedly admitted that the animal was killed in the Kawal reserve by electrocution two months ago. They reportedly said that they had killed the tiger near Pulgampandri village under Pembi range in Nirmal district.
Forest officials identified one more accused, A. Munya, belonging to Pulgampandri, on Sunday. According to Niraml district forest officer K. Damodar Reddy, Munya had a land parcel surrounded by the forest. He was given the plot of land as per the Recognition of Forest Rights Act provisions.
Munya along with another accused, Prakash, electrocuted the tiger by preparing a snare and passing current through it.
Mr Damodar Reddy said, “It appears that they were used to electrocuting animals after the accused informed us about the way they trapped the tiger. The two of them have not been booked even once previously.” Munya is absconding and a search has been launched for him.
The officials are having a tough time in monitoring the tiger reserve that is spread across five lakh acre. Poachers shifted their method from using guns to traditional methods like keeping snares and traps making it more difficult to officials.
