Hyderabad: In the last seven months, forest officials have seized 3,810 traps and snares that were laid to catch, poach or kill wildlife in forest areas in different parts of the state along with 4,872 kg material used for the purpose. The ‘Catch the trap’ initiative, which was introduced on Dec 1, 2023, seems to have paid dividends as only three cases of electrocution of animals were reported. In 2021, there were 18 cases, in 2022 there were 15 cases and in 2023, there were 21 cases of electrocution of animals.
Chief wildlife warden and principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) MC Pargaien on Wednesday inspected the material, which was later transported to Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park in the city for documentation. “The main purpose of the transportation of the seized material is to ensure that the material is not reused or recycled and to take remedial measures and formulate strategies for the future to protect wildlife,” he said. In rural areas, villagers, in a bid to prevent wild animals from entering into their villages, install live electric wires to kill wild animals.
This has resulted in human fatalities also. For example in Jan 2023, 45-year-old Guguloth Mangya Naik died when he came in contact with a live wire arranged by hunters to trap wild animals in Rajanna Sircilla district. Similarly, Rajanna, 45, died in Mancherial in April last year and D Sudhakar was electrocuted in Khammam in Dec last in a similar fashion.
Pargaien said between A.
