Wildlife is to add beauty to jungles, not to be hunted: Pramod Kumar
Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Dec 9: “Wildlife adds luster to forests, glorifies their beauty. They are not to be hunted for pleasure or otherwise. It should be the ‘higher animal’ that man is who should endeavor to protect them. But the greed of some Kandagora villagers led to the killing of a deer that had strayed into the fields from the nearby forest. It is such a shame,” observed Saraikela Range Forest Officer Pramod Kumar while informing that a case has been initiated against three accused villagers and 15 others for killing the deer and organizing a community feast at the Gram Pradhan Pandit Hembram’s garden. The Forest Department while filing the case has urged the Honourable Court to initiate criminal proceedings against the accused and others named in the complaint and to issue strictes of penalties including jail terms so that none other ever dares to commit wildlife slaughter.
It may be mentioned that early morning on Sunday, December 6, a deer had strayed into the fields from the nearby forest of Kandagora under Saraikela Block and police station at 6 am. Seeing the animal some villagers chased the deer with the help of the village’s stray dogs and captured it. They took the fully grown deer to the garden of Gram Pradhan Pandit Hembram, tied it to a wild berry tree and slaughtered it. They distributed the meet among themselves and organized a community feast. The villagers even tried to remove all traces and it was only after intensive investigation and search by the Forest Department team led by Pramod Kumar that evidences were found including bits and pieces of meat which, reportedly were sent to the Wildlife Research Centre in Dehradun.
In his briefing the Saraikela Forest range Officer said that extensive awareness drives would be carried out in the region to impress upon people the necessity and importance of preservation and growth of wildlife in the forests. Pramod Kumar informed, “It is heartening to note that many villagers are aware of the need to protect wildlife. As a result, with the Forest department personnel being provided cooperation by villagers, the population of peacocks, rabbits, jungle fowls, bears and elephants is growing. Elephants have adapted themselves to the forest conditions and are at home in their natural surroundings.”
He further stated that in the eyes of law. “Harming wildlife and killing them are punishable acts. In the Sini forest range of Sipangda and other places there is a hearting sight of growth in the peacock population. Similarly, in the Rajnagar range, rabbits, bears and deer are multiplying in numbers. Wild elephant herds also are making themselves comfortable in their natural, jungle surroundings. These are positive signs of human and nature adjustments.”
Among the three named accused in the case filed are Gram Pradhan Pandit Hembram and villagers Sadhu Charan Purty and Borjo Purty apart from 15 others. The Forest Department is conducting tracing operations to nab other villagers involved in the killing of the deer and participating in the community feast.