In a cruel act and tragic incident, two poachers among a group were detained by villagers, when they fleeing from a jungle at Tarininagar Malakar Para of Kanchanbari in Fatikroy under Unakoti district after killing four monkeys and a monitor lizard.

Police sources said that when on Sunday afternoon, some villagers of Tarininagar Malakar Para of Kanchanbari in Fatikroy noticed a group of poachers with air guns and other weapons hunting monkeys and other animals in the jungle, they chased them and managed to detain two poachers, while two other poachers managed to escaped from the spot.

Villagers had also recovered four dead bodies of monkeys and a monitor lizard in their gunny bags and they reported the incident to the Forest department.

Immediately, armed Forest guards rushed to the spot and detained two poachers and also seized bodies of four monkeys and a monitor lizard.

Speaking with media persons, a Forest official said that they will take all legal action under Forest Protect Act against detained poachers and will hand them over to police for further legal action.

Forest officials also expressed their gratitude to local villagers for their remarkable example of respect for wildlife conservation. This incident once again proved that without the active initiative of conscious citizens, the protection of nature and wildlife is impossible. Wild animals are essential for maintaining ecological balance. Killing them is not only an act of cruelty but also has long-term, devastating effects on the environment.

Meanwhile, a villager said that according to the Forest Act, killing any form of wildlife is a punishable offense. “It is our duty to be more aware of wildlife conservation and to stand strongly against such unjust acts. At the same time, the authorities must take appropriate legal action against these offenders to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.”