Officers from the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) led by Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma have busted a racket in Hambantota where poachers poisoned wild animals to sell their meat to pilgrims.
Poachers had been poisoning the water around Divulapelessa tank in Buruthankanda, Hambantota, where animals come to drink. Based on a tip-off, a group of wildlife offficers led by Deputy Minister Thewarapperuma raided the area to apprehend the poachers. However, they had escaped when wildlife officers conducted the area.
Though the suspects escaped, they had left behind their motorbikes and the carcass of a deer killed by the poachers. Wildlife officers said they had identified the suspects involved in the racket and action will be taken to arrest them after notifying courts.
Wildlife officers said the racket involving poisoning wild animals to sell their meat to devotees traveling to Kataragama on pilgrimage happens each year. They further said dog meat was being mixed with the meat of wild animals and also being sold to pilgrims.
Text and Pix by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi in Hambantota
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