Two arrested for killing bison near Udhagamandalam; Forest dept on lookout for two others

UDHAGAMANGALAM (Tamil Nadu): Forest Department officials have arrested two men from Kerala for shooting and killing a wild bison near Udhagamangalam (Ooty) in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Officials said they are still searching for two more people who fled the scene with the gun.

The vehicle and weapons used in the hunt have been seized. The arrested men, Aneesh Mon and Nishar from Nilambur in Kerala, were caught in Naduvattam in Nilgiris after the forest department tracked a Kerala-registered car suspected to be involved in the hunting. During questioning, the two confessed to killing the bison. The two accused have been arrested.

The incident took place near Kallakorai village, on the road to B Maniyatty village, where locals spotted a dead wild bison. Forest officials arrived at the scene and found that the animal had been shot. A veterinarian removed the bullet and carried out a post-mortem.

Furthermore, the Forest department has been patrolling various areas in several groups at night to monitor the hunting gangs throughout the district. In a similar incident which occurred days ago near the Emerald area, the forest department arrested a similar gang that arrived in a car caught with weapons.

Following the Emerald area arrest, the movement of hunters in the region had noticeably reduced due to intensive checks by the forest department in various areas. According to Forest officials as more bisons escape from the forest and roam around tea gardens and residential areas in Nilgiris, they are often hunted for meat by hunter gangs targeting Gudalur (Tamil Nadu) and Kerala. (ANI)