Notorious tiger poacher arrested

Officials of Nagarhole National Park (also called known as Rajiv Gandhi National Park) on Saturday afternoon arrested the notorious tiger poacher, Venkata, of Hunisekuppe village, near NNP.

In January this year, Venkata was involved in poaching a tiger in the Maddur Range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Along with his two associates he had poached a tigress aged between 5-6 years. The forest officials had booked a case against him but he had evaded arrest said a senior forest official.

Venkata was arrested when he was trying to sell 18 tiger nails in Taraka village, located at the border of Taraka reservoir. He has been booked under Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972 and is liable to be punished up to seven years imprisonment under Section 51, WPA, said a senior forest official. Tigers are listed under Schedule 1, of the WPA.

Another case pending against Venkata since 2004 in Nazarabad Police Station was in Mysore regarding ivory poaching. He was also involved in several cases of sandalwood theft, added the official.

The arrest was done by Vaasudev Murthy, Range Forest Officer, Metikuppe Range of Nagarahole, who has worked in the Veerappan Task Force. Forester Chinnaswamy, Guard Vairumudi and Watcher Chaamaachari were also involved in arresting the poacher.