Poachers Hunted Wild Animals Over 'Superstition, Medicinal Claims'; Nine Held In Jharkhand's Palamu
The hunters claimed villagers used wild animal parts for superstitious beliefs and medicinal remedies, as there are many beliefs attached to their body parts.
Published : August 21, 2025 at 8:58 PM IST
Palamu: Authorities at the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) claimed to have arrested nine people on Wednesday for hunting tigers and other wild animals in Jharkhand. The action also put the spotlight on a disturbing trend due to superstitious beliefs and the illegal trade of animal parts.
Officials said the hunters were caught with various equipment, including snares and nets, which they used to trap tigers. “One of the accused, Tapeshwar Singh of Kui village in Latehar district, admitted to being trained by outsiders and described himself as an expert in tiger hunting,” they said.
According to PTR officials, Singh confessed to killing a tiger in the reserve about 10 years ago and distributed its skin and body parts among villagers. “Tapeshwar Singh has made many big revelations in front of the officials of Palamu Tiger Reserve,” said an official.
“The hunters claimed villagers used animal parts for superstitious beliefs and medicinal remedies. The accused said that there are many beliefs about the body parts of wild animals. Medicines are made from the body parts of many animals, which cure pain, fever and other kinds of diseases,” said another official.
The initial investigation revealed that the other arrested hunters were involved in killing elephants and other protected animals.
Prajeshkant Jena, Deputy Director of the reserve, said tigers were generally hunted using tiger traps, but Bharthua guns are also used. “The meat and body parts of the tiger were used in the village itself. Further links are also being searched,” he said.
Jena said that investigators were also probing a Rajasthan connection, as in August 2024, a leopard skin recovered in Jamshedpur was traced back to Palamu.
“A team from Rajasthan, posing as herb collectors, had earlier trained villagers in Chainpur to hunt tigers and provided them with equipment,” he said.
“The latest arrests have widened the probe, as it may be done under an organised network of poachers and traditional medicine sellers operating across state borders,” Jena added.
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