“Our personnel posed as customers and struck a deal with a person who was selling hare meat. They bargained for a while and decided on a price. After the seller agreed, he showed it to them and was caught red-handed”, said an official from the forest department.

Cases will be registered under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 against the violators, the official added.

Wild animals that are supposed to be confined to forest areas or zoos are being sold at busy markets on Sundays in and around the city. Monitor lizards, hares, partridges and other rare wildlife are being sold by poachers. Officials said the animals or its meat are concealed under baskets by some or other means.

In most cases, the sellers have a regular customer base. The wild animals which are small in size are sold as it is. The favourite hunt for poachers are wild boars and wild rabbits.

Taking due care not to be caught, poachers indulge in the trade only in outskirts of the city. Among various locations where poachers hunt for animals, one convenient place for them is the boundary of national parks. Metal snares are laid to trap wild boars or rabbits.

Expecting the poachers would strike a day before the Sunday’s market, the forest department personnel check for metal snares or other forms of traps around some parks such as MahavirHarinaVanasthali National Park (Deer Park) Vanasthalipuram, especially on Saturday nights.

Lingampally, Hayathnagar, Sanathnagar, and other areas were a few places where the anti-poaching squad caught the violators earlier.