Shivamogga: In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife hunting, forest officials in Karnataka's Shivamogga district seized 45 country-made explosive devices allegedly being used for poaching in a reserve forest area.
One accused has been arrested, while two others managed to escape during the operation.
Acting on credible intelligence about illegal hunting of wild animals , officials from the Karnataka Forest Department conducted a raid on April 19 near Haratalu village in the Kerehalli hobli of Hosanagara taluk. The operation was carried out in a reserve forest stretch along the main road connecting Kotethariga to Haratalu.
During the raid, forest personnel found three individuals identified as Dakappa (55), Bhaskar (55), and Nagaraj (53) allegedly preparing for hunting using improvised explosive devices, locally known as country bombs. Officials said the accused were attempting to target wild animals using these explosives, a method considered highly dangerous and illegal.
As the forest team moved in, two of the suspects Bhaskar and Nagaraj fled the scene, evading capture. However, Dakappa was apprehended on the spot. Authorities recovered a total of 45 country bombs along with a motorcycle believed to have been used by the accused.
Dakappa was later produced before the court in Hosanagara. Forest officials have launched a manhunt to trace and arrest the absconding accused. They indicated that further investigation is underway to determine whether the accused were part of a larger poaching network operating in the region.
Officials highlighted that the use of explosive devices for hunting poses a severe threat not only to wildlife but also to human safety, as such act can cause unintended casualties and environmental damage.