Human-animal conflict declared as state-specific disaster in Kerala
In the wake of the recent tragic incidents of wild animal attacks on people, Kerala government on Wednesday declared man-animal conflict as a 'state-specific disaster'.
A live wire trap spread out for killing wild animals, mainly wild boars and spotted deer, turned into a human death trap with a suspected poacher dying of electrocution in the mangrove forest cover of Kendrapara district. The suspected poacher has been identified as Sudhansu Sethy, police said.
The incident took place in Panikhia protected forest under Mahakalpada police station jurisdiction. Police suspect the deceased to be part of a three member gang active in the area whowere arrested Sudhanshu along with three of his accomplices had ventured into the forest for poaching four days back.
They had spread live wires to kill the animals. However accidentally, Sudhanshu was stuck in the live wire and died. Later three accused persons had buried the body while the deceased’s family members had lodged a missing complaint with the police, said Shyamaghan Behera, inspector of Mahakalpada police station.
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Three suspects were detained and were quizzed. On interrogation, they spilled the beans and confided the elaborate details of Sudhanshu’s death. Police rushed to the dense forest areas where the electrocution had taken place. The body was exhumed for initiation of criminal proceedings against the accused persons, police added.
The mishap occurred when Sudhanshu tried to electrify the wire by hooking it with the overhead live wire. Following electrocution of Sudhanshu, they panicked, buried the body and fled, stated Behera. Three of the accused persons have been arrested while search is on to nab another who is at large, he said. On January 2, a suspected poacher had died in a similar case of electrocution in Angul district as poachers had laid live wires to trap wild elephants.
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