The steel traps were detected by the forest staff on Wednesday in Venkatapetha-Muyaboynapetha forests but the information was kept under wraps. Sources said the matter came to light when field staff found a steel trap in a bag hanging on a tree. Further search of the area led to another trap. Besides, three holes to lay traps were also found.
Sources said the traps were similar to the ones made by Baheliyas of Katni in Madhya Pradesh. These traps are laid to poach tiger, leopard and sloth bears.
Baheliyas were notorious for poaching and have entered Vidarbha forests in a big way. On December 23, a jackal died after it was caught in a similar trap near Loni village on Amravati-Akola highway near Karanja-Sohol sanctuary.
"Baheliyas operate at multiple locations. They carry tools to slaughter an animal and extract useful parts on the spot," an expert said. Read the full report here.
Source: Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Nagpur.
