An activist, T. Murugavel of Environmental Monitoring and Action Initiating (EMAI), said he was in Tiruchendur last week. When he came out after darshan at a temple, he was shocked to see the dozen skinned jackals with their heads displayed along with the beads in a public market.
The families claimed that it was not wrong to kill the jackals. Further interaction with them revealed that they used snares to trap the jackals, which were then clubbed to death.
Later, the body parts were removed and the skull retained with the skin. However, they refused to tell him the forest area from which the scavengers were trapped, he said.
Mr Murugavel said superstitions surrounding the animal led to their killing.
State Wildlife authorities said the animal is categorised under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act of India 1972 and killing and displaying the trophy would attract severe punishment along with imprisonment and penalty.
Despite strict enforcement of laws to curb poaching, raw meat of jackal was found to be sold in the market. Dinkar Kumar, District Forest Officer, when contacted, said it was shocking and added that any such act would attract severe punishment.
He said the wildlife officials had been directed to conduct raids immediately in the temple town and its surroundings to find out whether any such incident had taken place.
Similarly, the Revenue officials in the district P. Kongan, Revenue Divisional Officer, Tiruchendur and C. Sankaranarayanan, Tahsildar, Tiruchendur said they did not receive any such complaint from the people.
They asked the Village Administrative Officer and Village Assistants to inspect shops in Tiruchendur area to detect the unlawful activity.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/trade-in-jackal-skin-meat-continues-despite-stringent-laws/article4267446.ece
Tribe found selling them in open market.
ReplyDeleteWildlife found outside forests especially outside the protected areas are getting wiped out completely due to poaching and habitat loss. How are we going to save these voiceless living beings?