Big action by forest department; four interstate smugglers caught smuggling protected wild animal pangolin

Special initiatives are being taken by the Forest and Climate Change Department for the conservation and promotion of wildlife in the state. On the instructions of Forest Minister Shri Kedar Kashyap, the Principal Chief Forest Conservator and Forest Division Chief Shri Srinivas Rao has ordered the forest officials to take strict action against those involved in smuggling of protected wildlife. Under the guidance of Chief Forest Conservator Jagdalpur Shri RC Dugga, under the direction of Forest Division Officer of Bastar Forest Division Shri Uttam Kumar Gupta, after receiving information from an informer, a team of Deputy Forest Officer Bastar, Range Officer Karpavand Shri Saurabh Rajak and other forest officials was formed and after laying siege on the Karpavand Kolawal road, four accused were caught with 01 endangered wild animal Pangolin (called Sal Khapri in Chhattisgarhi) in a jute bag in 02 motorcycles. These four persons had come to Chhattisgarh from Orissa to look for a customer to sell the wild animal.

The forest department officials took the said wild animal into their safe custody and brought the four accused to the Karpavand Forest Range Office along with their two motor cycles Hero HF Deluxe OD 10 T 3001, Honda Shine SP AP 31 EM 7882 and further legal action is being taken by registering a forest offence under various sections of the Indian Forest Act 1927 and Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
Shri Devlal Dugga, Deputy Forest Divisional Officer, Jagdalpur, Shri Yogesh Kumar Ratre, Deputy Forest Divisional Officer, Chitrakote, Shri Suryaprakash Dhruv, Forest Range Officer, Machkot, Shri Prakash Thakur, Forest Range Officer, Chitrakote, Shri Devendra Verma, Forest Range Officer, Jagdalpur, Shri Jayaraj Patra, Forest Guard, Shri Shridhar Snehi, CFO were present in this action. The contribution of Shri Bansingh Karma Deputy Forest Officer, Sukhpal Yadav Forest Officer, Shri Kalmu Deva Forest Officer, Shri Tulesh Baghel Forest Officer, Shri Mangal Kashyap Forest Officer, Shri Raghunath Nag Forest Officer, Shri Sonadhar Maurya Forest Officer and Shri Kamalochan Baghel Forest Officer of Jagdalpur and Karpavand Forest Range was commendable.

Rapid Rescue Team (RRT) has been formed at the Jagdalpur Forest Circle level for the rescue and protection of endangered wildlife. They are trying to curb wildlife smugglers by establishing a continuous information system for the rescue of wildlife.

The wild animal Pangolin is listed in Schedule 1 under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Killing and selling it is a punishable offence.