Forest officials said the duo had been regularly poaching in the reserve forest.
Two persons were arrested for poaching wild animals in the Ponnaiyar Reserve Forest (RF) near Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai on Saturday.
Forest Department officials said a country-made gun, explosives, a two-wheeler, nets, torchlights and batteries were seized from the duo. During a routine patrol in the forest a team of forest officials found a group of men inside the reserve forest around 4 a.m.
On seeing the forest department team , they tried to escape on the two-wheeler, leaving behind their belongings. However, the team managed to round up the suspects. “They have been poaching in the area regularly as they had come prepared with all the things needed for hunting,” N. Srinivasan, Forest Range Officer, Sathanur dam range, told The Hindu.
Initial inquiries revealed that R. Manikandan, 35, and M. Vijay, 23, were involved in the crime. They belong to Chengam town, located on the fringes of the reserve forest. The suspects procured the country-made gun from Kerala through contacts for hunting of small wild animals. They were regularly hunting in RFs in the area to sell meat of wild animals. They had poached wild animals to supplement their income from farming, officials said. A case has been registered under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Later in the day, the duo were produced before a local court in Chengam. They were lodged at the sub-jail in Chengam.