The clandestine poaching in the wooded Sillaghrat valley of Chamba district, which is inhabited by a large number of wildlife, is eating into the thriving habitat though it is not the wildlife sanctuary. The residents living on the fringe of the Sillaghrat valley are worried over the ongoing incidents.

Last evening, a wild beast ‘Marten’, locally called ‘Dhikloo’, was killed with an electric current by some unidentified fishermen who were fishing on the bank of Hul Nala flowing in the vale. The body of martin was recovered by the environment cautious residents of the area.

Accompanied by a noted naturalist of the area comrade Rattan Chand, a deputation of the residents of the valley met with the divisional forest officer (territorial), Chamba, DR Kaushal and brought the incident to notice.

The deputation also handed over the body of Marten for initiating legal action against the culprits. After fulfilling all formalities, the DFO Kaushal accordingly registered the case under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act for the investigation.

Kaushal said a team of forest officials had been directed to rush to the incident site to find out the culprits involved in the killing of the animal.

Talking to the correspondent, Rattan Chand suspected that some outsiders engaged in the construction activities of the hydroelectric projects in the area might be involved in such crimes of poaching wild animals thereby destroying the wild beasts of the forested mountains of the region.