BELAGAVI: Forest officials claimed to have busted a pangolin poaching racket nabbing three accused in the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary jungles of Khanapur on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Narayan GangaramNikam, Amol Mohan Pawar and Mohan ShivajiNikam, all residents of Gunji village in Khanapur taluk.

The trio belong to the Narikurava community (hunters). The tribe was earlier residing at Gavali forest area, where they hunted animals, including monkeys. After a few warnings, the forest officials forced them to leave the area and they shifted to Gunji.The trio entered the forests and hunted down two pangolins.

They cooked one in the jungle itself and kept the other.

Acting on a tip-off, forest officials nabbed the accused along with the cooked meat and scales, and a dead pangolin. They also recovered bows and arrows from the accused.

According to forest officials, pangolin is an endangered species that is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.

The flesh and scales is in great demand for its medicinal value.

Investigation is in progress to confirm whether the accused were traders of pangolin.

According to wildlife activists, Western ghats has a good number of pangolins. As the Narikurava community are expert hunters, there is a possibility that people engaged in illegal trade are employing them for hunting pangolin, they said.