Three Poachers Shot Dead by Forest Guards in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Bengaluru: Three poachers were shot dead by patrolling personnel of Hanur range attached to Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagar district in the early hours of Saturday.

In the encounter between poachers and forest personnel, a forest personnel identified as Shivaraj sustained injuries and has been treated at a hospital. One member of the poaching group managed to escape and search is on to trace him.

The encounter between four poachers armed with country made guns and forest personnel of 7 engaged in patrolling in the forest is said to have occurred in between 5.15 am to 5. 30 am.

However, the identities of the poachers’ shot dead were immediately not known to the forest officials.

It is said four poachers entered deep inside on foot at Shagya section of Hanur range and allegedly poached deers.

After hunting down deer inside the forest, the poachers converted the parts into meat and on their way to exit the forest when they came across a patrolling team of forest officials.

Poachers are said to have initiated firing at the patrolling personnel and in retaliation, forest guards opened fire at them.

In the exchange of fire, 3 poachers fell to bullet injuries while a forest personnel Shivaraj sustained injuries. Two poachers were discovered in unconscious state and one was in conscious condition and all of them died en route to a hospital.

The point at which the encounter took place is about 8-km from forest boundary and forest officials suspected the meat seized from poachers belongs to deer but forensic science experts have been roped in to ascertain the meat recovered from the poachers.

Meanwhile, forest officials have gathered information that the poachers shot dead in the encounter belong to one of the villages on the fringes of the Sanctuary.

Efforts are to establish the identities of the dead jointly by forest and police personnel. Investigations have been taken-up.