Bargarh: A couple was arrested on charges of peacock poaching by Debrigarh Night Patrol Squad at the foothills of sanctuary during a late-night raid in Labantikra village in Bargarh district. They are Surendra Khadia (40) and Rashmi Khadia (30) and the accused were produced before a local court on Monday.
During the raid, officials seized a significant quantity of poaching-related materials, including peacock meat, multiple snares, mud balls used for hunting, traps, axes, and iron knives. A synthetic thread snare was also found placed around a peacock nest in the area. Peacocks are ground-nesting birds that typically lay 3 to 4 eggs per clutch during the summer season.
Interrogation revealed that the couple had discovered the peacock nest while collecting firewood and had deliberately set the snare with the intention of killing the bird for its meat and selling its feathers.
Peacock poaching is strictly prohibited in India as they are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Killing, trapping, or harming the national bird can result in imprisonment for up to seven years and fines of not less than Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000.
In the Debrigarh landscape, ground-nesting birds such as francolin, partridge, and quails are frequently targeted by poachers for their meat and feathers. To counter this, eco-development committees in surrounding villages have been sensitised about wildlife protection, and informer networks have been actively established across all villages to support conservation initiatives. The informers are regularly rewarded for every credible tip-off related to wildlife crimes, a system that has helped strengthen anti-poaching efforts, said DFO Hirakud Wildlife Division (Debrigarh Sanctuary) Anshu Pragyan Das.