By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Wildlife Protection staff arrested four poachers for killing a monkey for meat and seized their weapons used for hunting in Ri-Bhoi on Saturday night.
Nongpoh wildlife officials said on Sunday that on Saturday at around 11.30 pm, a squad from Nongpoh Wildlife Range during a routine patrolling in Umski area in Nongkhyllem apprehended four poachers. Seeing the squad the culprits tried to flee after firing in the air.Four SBBL guns, cartridges, gun powder, home-made cartridges, daos , torches and 8 kgs of macaque (monkey) meat were also seized from their possession.
The accused have been identified as Doling Maring, Det Suting, both from Pahamrioh village, Padrik Maring and Henus Nongbri from Umskun village in Ri-Bhoi. The wild life authorities said that the arrested persons would be booked under various sections of wild life protection act 1972.
However, the concern of the wild life authorities is the use of weapons, both licensed and illegal by the villagers residing within 10 km radius of Nongkhyllem wild life sanctuary unlike other sanctuaries and national parks in India.
The officials said that the authorities should carry out routine checking in each and every village in the fringe of Nongkhllem to record all those in possession of arms.