Maksam Tayeng

 

PASIGHAT, Apr 14: Acting on a WhatsApp photo received by Deputy Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife & BD), Millor Tasser in which a person is seen to be hunting inside the D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary along the river with a gun, the sanctuary authority has lodged an FIR against the unknown hunter at the Sille-Oyan Police Station on Tuesday to kick-start an immediate investigation and arrest of the hunter.

The FIR was initially lodged at the Sille-Oyan PS but the concerned police officer transferred the case to Pasighat PS as the possible place of hunting as per the photo’s background appears somewhere in and around Partung and Pillumukh areas. In the said FIR, Deputy Forest Range Officer-in-Charge, Anchalghat Wildlife Range Orin Perme noted that some Mithuns are also seen in the photo’s background, but there is no possibility of open Mithun grazing inside the sanctuary unlike that in Partung under Pasighat Reserve Forest areas just opposite to Pillumukh Wildlife beat of the Anchalghat Range. After lodging the FIR, Perme informed that the gun carried by the purported hunter is an airgun which can be clearly detected from the photo itself and as such he didn’t go for hunting inside the sanctuary. A hunter entering the sanctuary will never hunt deer or other animals by an airgun and will instead use a SBBL/DBBL or .22 gun, he reasoned. Moreover, it also appears from the close-up of the photo that there are some traditional fish-catching traps locally called ‘Porang’ where the man was spotted which also indicates that he was hunting in the Pasighat Reserve side just opposite DEWS, he said. “However, we are not taking the case lightly and will continue investigating the same departmentally to prevent any possible hunting activities inside the sanctuary,” Perme added.

When asked about the case, DFO Wildlife, Tasang Taga informed that he received the photo with a message from the DCF Wildlife with the caption- ‘Hunter is entering D. Ering WL Sanctuary’. “I had requested him to share the source of the photo for  investigation purposes, but he didn’t share. So, I directed the RFO to investigate the case seriously through departmental channels and also by the police since all cases of hunting need to be dealt with firmly,” Taga added. There are some syndicates of anti-wildlife conservation who are jealous with the strong wildlife protection activities in the sanctuary and in one such high-profile case on 10th June 2020 a departmental staff was found involved with four other habitual hunters, he added while appealing to all genuine pro-wildlife protection individuals/groups to cooperate with the DEWS management in protecting the sanctuary.

Meanwhile, initiating the preliminary enquiry, Pasighat police led by SI Kari Pertin asked the concerned DCF Wildlife to disclose the source of the photo which he declined. “When we contacted the DCF Wildlife to share the source of the individual or group from whom he received the photo, he was reluctant, contending that he got it from a Facebook post and not sure about the specific origin,” Pertin informed.