Organised poaching racket in Wilpattu busted with carcass of pregnant deer

By Hiran Priyankara

Wildlife officials have unearthed a major organised group that had been killing wild animals inside Wilpattu National Park for a long time to supply meat to tourist hotels, following the arrest of five poachers with the carcass of a pregnant deer.

The suspects, aged between 30 and 50 and residents of Ranerawa, Nochchiyagama and Anuradhapura, were taken into custody in the early hours of yesterday during a raid by park officials. The officers had laid in ambush from midnight after receiving intelligence about the gang’s operations. At the time of arrest, the men were in possession of the pregnant deer’s carcass, a 12-bore shotgun, two live cartridges and two motorcycles. Officials said one suspect behaved in an unruly manner and obstructed the raid.

The suspects are to be produced in court. Their vehicles and weapons have been seized.

The operation was carried out by a team of wildlife officers under the direction of Park Warden D. Samaranayake and Assistant Wildlife Ranger Udaya Karunanayake.