For the Koya tribe inhabiting the secluded villages bordering Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, the annual Bhumi Panduga festival marks the beginning of agricultural activity during the monsoon.
But, on the darker side, it spells disaster for the wildlife here as the tribal folk set out on a hunting spree during these days.
Especially spotted deer fall prey to the hunters, who can be seen moving in large numbers through the woods, armed with bows and arrows.
There’s no stopping them because the Forest Department is apparently ill-equipped to curb the menace.
One such scene of a hunted deer lying dead near Sunkumamidi village in Chintoor mandal of Alluri Sitharama Raju district caught the attention of the passers-by on the way to Mothugudem village.
The animal was writhing in pain and eventually breathed its last even before the forest rangers could reach the place.
A motorcyclist told this correspondent, who was proceeding to the AP - Genco’s hydel power plants at Sileru that he saw the deer’s carcass on the wayside being torn apart by a pack of stray dogs, which he managed to scare away.
A few people who gathered there informed the Forest Department personnel.
Speaking to The Hindu, the Deputy Forest Range Officer observed that the tribal men tend to hunt deer and other animals more during the Bhumi Panduga period.
“On and off, we chase away the hunters when we see them, but they strike somewhere else. When an animal is killed, we do an inquiry and book a case under the Wildlife Act,” he said, suggesting that hunting is a tradition among the tribals.
