Beach Revellers Feast on Olive Ridleys, Wild Animals

The New Indian Express , Sunday, February 15, 2015
Correspondent : Andhra Pradesh
VISAKHAPATNAM: The apathetic attitude of the forest department and the police in monitoring the coastal areas has emboldened tipplers and anti-social elements, who virtually rule the beach areas in the city during night hours. It has been found that tipplers are poaching wild boars and Olive Ridley turtles for meat.

There are allegations that local fishermen are also involved in these activities. The meat of animals like wild boars, wild sheep and Olive Ridleys are being sold for high prices in some spots in the lonely places along the stretch from Tenneti Park to Bheemili. According to sources a lump of Olive Ridley meat is being sold Rs 1,200.

Recently, the remains of burnt carcasses of wild animals were found on the beach, which threw light into the illegal activities being witnessed along the coastline in the nights. Carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles are often washed ashore in these areas and some local people have been selling them to visitors.

Wild animals from the nearby forest areas that stray into the bordering areas of Sagar Nagar and Visalakshi Nagar in search of food are also being hunted for meat. The meat of wild boars and wild sheep are brought to the coastal areas and sold to tipplers for exorbitant rates.

Though these illegal activities don’t take place every day, many members of the fishermen community are involved in the illegal act, since it is a highly profitable business and the meat often fetch thousands of rupees.

The TNIE found the remains of burnt carcasses of wild animals along with liquor bottles near Jodugulapalem area. Though the forest officials feigned ignorance about the activities, the officials of Andhra University zoology department suspected that the remains could be of a wild boar or a wild sheep. They could not identify the meat as it was burnt.

Sources said that some gangs from Bheemili visit the shore in search of Olive Ridleys during mornings and take them. Groups of men have been spotted patrolling the beaches during evening hours in search of the turtles. Wild animals that stray into the bordering villages are hunted and the meat is being sold to revellers who arrive on the secluded spots along the coastal areas in the nights. The tipplers usually fry the meat on bonfire.

JNV Ratnam, an environmentalist and a member of the Green Climate Fund, said that there are several cases earlier where tipplers used to organise parties in secluded spots along the coastal stretch and used to cook the meat of wild animals like deer. “Wild animals usually stray into villages bordering the forest areas, but we don’t have any records regarding the fate of these animals. The forest officials should track the animals that stray into human habitats.

]They should ensure the protection of wild animals and initiate action against the hunters”, he added.

Replying to a query, A Bharat Kumar, conservator for forests, Visakhapatnam said that he was not aware of the illegal activities and asked this correspondent to provide details about the incident.

 
SOURCE : http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/Beach-Revellers-Feast-on-Olive-Ridleys-Wild-Animals/2015/02/15/article2669379.ece
 


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