The Forest Department has arrested eight persons, including an anti-poaching watcher attached to Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), for attempting to sell elephant tusk.
A piece of tusk and a fake tusk made of wood were seized from the eight men, who landed in custody in a joint operation by members of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB- southern region), the Tamil Nadu WCCB (Coimbatore zone), and officials from the Mettupalayam forest range of Coimbatore Forest Division.
A release issued by the Department said that three men— M. Pratheesh of Keezh Kotagiri, P. Chinnapandi of Sirumugai and I. Subramani of Kannerimukku at Kotagiri— were picked up by officials from a place near an amusement park on Mettupalayam – Ooty Road on November 3.
