In Uttarakhand, 14 individuals have been arrested for poaching a Himalayan barking deer, a protected species, highlighting ongoing challenges in wildlife conservation and the enforcement of poaching laws.
Key Points
- 14 individuals were arrested in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand for poaching a Himalayan barking deer.
- The poachers were apprehended while preparing to cook the deer, which they had hunted in the Dudhatoli forest area.
- The Himalayan barking deer is a protected species found at high altitudes in Uttarakhand.
- The arrests were made following a tip-off and a raid by forest officials in the Khankhara range.
Fourteen people were arrested here on Friday for alleged poaching of Himalayan barking deer, officials said.
They said the accused were arrested when they were preparing to cook the deer, which was hunted on Thursday.
Rudraprayag's Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Devendra Singh Pundir said 14 people from Kondli-Kwali village, adjacent to the Dudhatoli forest area, were arrested for hunting the Himalayan barking deer in the Khankhara range.
The arrests were made during a raid led by a Khankhara range officer based on a tip-off, Pundir said.
The Himalayan barking deer is a protected species and can be found at altitudes of 3,000 to 8,000 feet in Uttarakhand. Conservation efforts have led to sightings of the deer over the past few years.
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