Elephant poaching: Forester, forest guard suspended in Dharmapuri

Dharmapuri: District forest officer (DFO) K Rajangam on Friday placed forester Sakthivel and forest guard Damodaran under suspension for their failure to prevent an elephant poaching incident in Neruppur forest area.
While Sakthivel is attached to the Neruppur forest range, Damodaran is attached to the Yemanur forest range.
On March 1, an elephant was found dead in Pathanwadi reserve forest in Godhubai Kinaru forest area near Pennagaram. Poachers had removed its tusks and burned the carcass.
Following this, a team comprising the DFO and veterinarians conducted an autopsy the same day. Autopsy report confirmed that the elephant was poached. Forest officers subsequently registered a case under the wildlife act and launched a probe into the incident.
In a press statement, the DFO announced the formation of three special teams to conduct a thorough investigation. "We will arrest the poachers by analysing call records from the mobile towers within a five-kilometre radius." He also promised to enhance the surveillance network in the forest, including establishment of anti-poaching camps to prevent similar occurrences in future.