Rare animals end up on VIP plates

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=31403611

 

Rare animals end up on VIP plates

 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2002 02:00:01

AM ]

 

B V S BHASKAR

BHADRACHALAM, Khammam: Endangered species of wild

animals in the Bhadrachalam forest continue to be the

preferred food at feasts for visiting VIPs.

 

Even after Marlakunta incident in 1998, in which a

Khammam district minister allegedly attended a feast

at which venison was served, neither forest officials

nor police have taken concrete steps to end poaching.

 

In the 7,488 sq km forest, there is hardly a game bird

left and numbers of endangered species have come down

significantly due to the unchecked poaching.

 

Poaching in this forest was back in the news again

when a constable lost his life after he accidentally

fell into an electric trap set by poachers. When The

Times of India visited Charla, Venkatapuram and Wajedu

forest areas near Bhadrachalam, some startling facts

came to light about poaching and VIP feasts.

 

One forest officer, speaking on condition of

anonymity, said hunting of rare species in the

Bhadrachalam forest was not a new phenomenon. " Any

influential person visiting this district is served

deer, sambar or at least rabbit meat. Some MLAs, MPs,

and police officers insist on rare delicacies. We, in

turn, seek the tribals’ help in fetching such meat, "

he said. Panthers, tigers, nilgai and barking deer are

some of the species found in the Kinnerasani wild life

sanctuary in Paloncha. But the numbers of wild goat,

deer, bison, sambar, chowsingha and barking deer have

come down considerably in the last two decades, the

officer said.

 

Local tribals pleaded that they poached only to feed

themselves and not for commercial purposes. Ajmira

Laxman of Charla said, " Poaching is common in our

forest. The forest and police officials order us to

get rare animals once in a while. We hardly get Rs 200

to Rs 300 for such meat. "

 

Regarding the set up of illegal traps, the police and

forest officials blame each other for letting the

poachers have the run of the forest.

 

 

 

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