Officers of the Forest department (Wildlife Management Division) appealed to the staff to check hunting of animals and birds and protect forest lands.
In the one-day training programme organised for Eluru Wildlife Division staff here on Monday, the forest personnel educated the staff on various offences, mode of detection, filing cases and charge sheets in courts and arrests.
Kaikaluru Forest Range Officer (FRO) A. Sunil Kumar explained the staff on the steps to be taken to protect the birds and animals in Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary. He asked forest guards, beat officers and foresters to be vigilant and prevent encroachment of the land.
Rajahmundry Forest Range Officer (Wildlife Division) P.B.N. Kumar said capturing, killing, poisoning, trapping or injuring animals would be treated as hunting and the accused could be booked under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
“We focussed on Wildlife Protection and Forest Acts. The staff are trained on how to detect a theft or other offence, register a case, investigation process, procedures to be followed while arresting the accused and the sections to be invoked (depending on the nature of the crime),” said Mr. Sunil Kumar.
“Even damaging of nests or eggs of birds or reptiles can be treated as hunting and the accused can be booked under the Wildlife Protection Act,” said Mr. Kumar and asked the beat officers to identify the habitual offenders in the villages. The FRO said about 150 cases relating to encroachment of forest lands, hunting of birds and other cases were pending in Kaikalur range.
Capturing, killing, poisoning, trapping or injuring animals ise treated as hunting and the accused can be booked under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
A. Sunil Kumar
Forest Range Officer, Kaikaluru
