A four-year-old female spotted deer was shot dead allegedly by a poacher in the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP). The suspect, however, abandoned the trophy and ran away after seeing a forest officer.
Sources in the forest department said that the poacher appears to have entered the forest from Harohalli-Anekal Road which passes through the park. In view of the COVID-19 lockdown, hardly any vehicle travels on the roads that pass through or near the BNP. Reassured by this solitude, animals even venture out into human habitats.
Forest officials said they had been busy with taking steps to prevent wildfires and poachers might have taken advantage of the situation to hunt the animals.
“The deer was shot with a pistol and we are trying to track down the poacher. The guilty will face strict action,” said Prashanth, deputy conservation officer, BNP.
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