VISAKHAPATNAM: In an alarming incident that involves ecological concerns, a group of villagers killed and skinned a panther and even feasted on its meat, at Koviri village of Saravakota mandal in Srikakulam district. A fight broke out between villagers on meat sharing and that was when word reached forest officials who reached the spot and took three persons into custody.
The incident took place on Saturday but officials came to know of it only on Sunday. The three who were nabbed were identified as M Srinivas, S Govind and B Simhachalam. Officials are looking for more culprits involved in the killing of the big cat.
The villagers had reportedly set up an electric fence in violation of forest rules to trap the panther. After consuming the flesh, they buried the head in the fields to avoid detection by forest and police officials. Forest officials exhumed the head of the big cat from the fields and sent its remains to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad for forensic investigations and to establish the animal species. The skin and nails were reportedly missing.
A case has been registered under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Forest officials will begin penal action against the accused once they get the forensic report from the CCMB. Killing a big cat or any animal listed in Schedule H of the Forest Act carries a jail term up to seven years.
Panthers are at the receiving end as poachers and smugglers have their field day.Confirming the incident to TOI, Sanjay Yalla, forest ranger officer at Pathapatnam in Srikakulam district, said a forest team went to the village on a tip-off. "It is probably a panther. The animal had strayed into the agricultural fields in the village, which is close to Odisha. With the help of Saravakota police, we took into custody three people. Investigation is on. More people will be picked up once the investigation is over," he said.
Putting up electric fence around agricultural fields is illegal. "The forest department has been paying hefty compensation to people in case wild animals damage crops or kill livestock," he said.
