Bhubaneswar: A couple was arrested by Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary personnel late on Sunday night while they were cooking peahen meat. They hunted the peahen from inside Debrigarh forest using a synthetic-made thread snare.Wildlife officials said they seized cooked peahen meat, eggs, mud balls, feathers, axes and steel knives. The poachers were identified as Surendra Khadia (40) and Rashmi Khadia (30). They were produced before a local court, which rejected their bail plea and remanded them in judicial custody.“Acting on a tip-off, the patrolling squad arrested the two poachers during a raid at night at Labantikra, at the foothills of Debrigarh. It was found during interrogation that a synthetic thread snare was placed around a peahen’s nest for poaching. The ground-nesting birds lay eggs during summer, around 3 to 4 eggs per clutch. During interrogation, they also revealed that while collecting firewood, they found the peahen nest and planned to hunt it for its meat and to sell the feathers,” said DFO (Hirakud wildlife division) Anshu Pragyan Das.She said since ground-nesting birds are commonly poached for meat and feathers in Debrigarh landscape, eco-development committees have been sensitised and informer networks have been established in all villages surrounding the sanctuary. The other birds, which are frequently poached, include francolin, partridge and quails. “We reward every informer for each tip-off related to poaching,” Das added.Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, known for its bison population, is also home to hundreds of peacocks and peahens. They keep roaming along the tourist trail. “We ask tourists also not to disturb peacocks sighted in the wild. Harming or hunting them amounts to wildlife crime,” the DFO said.
