MYSORE: The death of forest brigand Veerappan a few years ago has turned out to be a blessing for a newer crop of poachers and hunters in the Kollegal-Hanur forest range here.Though elephant poaching and sandalwood tree felling have drastically fallen after the dreaded man’s death, hunters are on the prowl in the areas of Ramapura and Changadi, targeting wild animals like deer, sambar and bison to meet a demand that they have created for the game meat.The poachers from Hosur and Dinnahalli make door deliveries — and locals are happy that they get about two kilos of deer/sambar/bison meat for as little as `100 and wild boar meat for just `50 — a steal compared to the `280 for a kilo of mutton.The hunters supply rabbits too and, at times, wild birds.People in Kowdahalli and neighbouring areas admit, in private, to having bought game meat occasionally.Requesting anonymity, they say the hunters contact them by phone.“We get it to our doorstep if we confirm the requirement,” one of them said.Local sources say the hunters prefer new moon days to catch their prey.They skin and chop the meat before selling it, besides consuming it themselves.The sale is done mostly on Sundays, and leftovers are sundried and stored for a few weeks.Poaching is rampant across the Western Ghats, particularly near villages on the fringes of the forest from Gopintham to Kowdahalli, and border villages in Ramapura police station limits and in Chamrajnagar.As the Forest Department survives on skeletal staff, the hunters, who usually move in groups, get away easy.Sources say the hunters have also developed contacts in Mysore city and across the border, to where they transport the meat clandestinely.The demand for game meat has increased poaching, posing a challenge for the forest officials, who struggle to nab the mini Veerappans and end the menace.
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