Puttur

Forest officials in Uppinangady have uncovered a case of illegal gaur slaughter involving four hunters who were turning the meat into jerky. The investigation began after authorities received a tip-off about a gaur that had been shot near a farm bordering the Boodujaalu reserve forest in Nidle village on October 11. The hunters, from Shibaje and Shiradi, had been lying in wait for the gaur, which often visited the area. They shot the animal on the night of October 10; although it initially escaped, it was later found and killed.

The hunters butchered the gaur in the forest and transported the meat to the home of one suspect, identified as Raju, using a pickup truck. It was there that the meat was processed into dried jerky. During a raid led by zonal forest officer Raghavendra, officials discovered the dried meat. Reports suggest that this group of hunters regularly targets wild animals in Nidle, Shibaje, and Shiradi, selling the dried meat in Kerala for prices ranging from ₹1,300 to ₹1,500 per kilogram. All suspects are currently evading capture, and the forest department continues its investigation into the matter.