By Forest officers in Kerala inactive 5 men on charges of killing a leopard, a species protected underneath Schedule one of the life Protection Act 1972, and intense its meat.
The incident was reported Wed within the Munipara space underneath the Mankulam vary of the forest department in Idukki district.
VB Udayasooryan, Mankulam vary Forest Officer, told the Indian categorical that a six-year-old male leopard was ensnared by the defendant in an exceedingly personal field in Munipara for the specific purpose of trafficking its body elements.
Following a tip-off, the forest officers LED by him conducted a raid at the house of PK Vinod, one in every of the defendant, wherever they found inculpative proof of the act like the leopard’s skin, teeth, jawbones, nails and its meat, in each roasted and raw forms. The snare accustomed entice the animal yet as different weapons employed in killing it were additionally taken.
“Their objective behind killing the animal was to sell its body elements. however before they may realize a dealer, we have a tendency to conducted the operation and inactive them. we have a tendency to realized that that they had roasted some of the meat and Greek deity it among themselves,” aforesaid Udayasooryan.
Apart from Vinod, the other accused are VP Kuriakose (74), CS Binu (50), Sali Kunjappan (54) and Vincent (50). They have been charged under sections 9, 39, 44, 49, 50, 51 and 57 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. (Express Photo)
