Kurnool: Pointing to the lack of surveillance by the authorities, poachers have managed to kill 11 blackbucks in Narayanapuram in Adoni Mandal of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh last week.
The incident came to light on Monday when the villagers found animal bones and severed heads in their fields. Blackbuck is the state animal of Andhra Pradesh and the poachers slaughter them for their skin and flesh. Chief conservator of forests (CFO) P Rama Krishna, who performed the preliminary investigation along with DFO Suman Beniwal on Monday, said they were awaiting the postmortem report.
Principle Additional Chief Conservator of Forests K Gopinath met district officials and locals on Tuesday and ordered them to conduct a thorough inquiry in the matter.
The officials believed the poaching to be a work of Karnataka hunters as sharp objects were used in the killings. “No bullet and weapon evidence was found at the scene,” the CFO added. The poachers fled with the meat and pelts of ten animals, and the carcass of another blackbuck was also found. The officials are also searching for the digital footprint or other pieces of evidence of the poachers, the CFO added.
