Poacher shoots wild boar for Holi revelry

NAGPUR: The Umrer-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary officials have caught a poacher red-handed for gunning down a wild boar for Holi revelry.

The arrested poacher has been identified as Satnam Singh of Gothangaon on the fringes of the sanctuary. According to sources, the action was taken by range forest officer (RFO) GF Luche and his staff.

Singh had shot dead the wild boar with a bharmar (country-made gun) on Wednesday morning around 7.30am. The field staff, who was on Holi patrolling duty nearby, rushed to the spot after hearing the gun shots.

Before Singh, accompanied by his wife, could lay hands on the wild boar, the staff arrested both of them. The boar was killed to sell meat on Holi.

The unlicensed bharmar gun has been seized. "We will arrest the poacher and his wife on Friday," said Luche. They have already been issued summons.

Luche said Singh was a habitual offender and has cases against him for killing wild animals.