Blackbuck species is protected under schedule one category of Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the highest protection given to wild species. According to forest department estimates there are about 4,800 black bucks in and around the Velavadar national park.

The matter came to light when Vartej police while patrolling intercepted a mini truck for checking. Police said that as soon as the vehicle was stopped, three persons sitting in the back jumped out and escaped. Suspecting fowl play, the cops searched the vehicle and found four carcasses of black bucks including that one female, two male and one sub-adult male. They also recovered two country-made rifles from the mini truck.

Police said they have arrested the driver of the vehicle Manji Rathod of Jivapar village in Palitana and handed him over to the forest department.

"During interrogation Manji gave us names of three others involved in the crime. They are Kabul Ahmed, Sumar Kalu and Firoz Ayyub also from Jivapar village," said assistant conservator of forests at the Velavadar national park Gajendrasinh Zala.

"All the three accused are from Dafer community, a nomadic tribe. Manji told us that the other three accused hired his vehicle on Thursday night and went to Paliyad where black bucks are found. They shot the wild animals near a place 35 km away from the national park," Zala added.

The accused were booked under various sections of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. "A probe has been initiated to know where they planned to take the animals. We also want know if they killed the animal for commercial purpose or for eating them. All things will be clear after the accused are held," said forest official.

Sources said that before killing the black buck, the poachers visited Ghanghali, Kalyanpur, Devaliya, Paliyad and Savainagar and passed through national park.