Poaching of 6 chinkaras near Pokhran firing range shocks Bishnois

Jaisalmer: A case of suspected poaching of six chinkara deer, a Schedule I wildlife species, came to light on Monday at the Army's Pokhran Field Firing Range near Loharki village in Jaisalmer district. Concern spread after the remains of more than half a dozen deer were found near Loharki village under the Ramdevra police station area, prompting suspicion that the animals were illegally hunted.A joint team of the forest department and police reached the spot, recovered the remains and launched an investigation. Wildlife enthusiasts said the carcasses were found about eight kilometres from Loharki, close to the field firing range, with some remains reportedly hanging from trees and blood stains visible at multiple locations.
According to local accounts, goat herders first noticed the scene and informed wildlife enthusiast Dharmendra Puniya. Soon after, Puniya, along with Pancharam Dara, Vikas Vishnoi, Bablu Vishnoi and Lakshman Godara, reached the area with other wildlife supporters and alerted the Forest Department and Ramdevra police.Forest and police officials, including Pokhran Forest Department ACS Chandrashekhar Kaushik, Chhayan Range Regional Forest Officer Lakshman Swami, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Daidansingh Rajpurohit from Ramdevra police station, visited the site with staff. The team collected the remains from different locations, including those found on the ground and those reportedly hung on trees, and sent them for post-mortem examination.Vishnoi Tiger Force state president Rampal Bhawad and Akhil Bhartiya Jeev Raksha Bishnoi Sabha national spokesperson Shivraj Bishnoi said they spoke to senior Forest Department officials and demanded a thorough probe and strict action against those responsible.Jaisalmer Forest Department DFO Kumar Subham confirmed the incident and said the department received information about the remains of around five chinkara near Loharki village inside the Army's Pokhran Field Firing Range. He said the Forest Department obtained permission from the Army to access the restricted area, reached the site and began an investigation. Subham added that the remains appeared to be a few days old, and the exact cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem report, including whether the animals were hunted or died due to other reasons.Puniya alleged that incidents of deer poaching have occurred several times in the past in the field firing range and surrounding areas, but claimed effective preventive action has not been taken, emboldening poachers and angering wildlife enthusiasts.Shivraj Bishnoi said the field firing range is off-limits to the general public, making the killing of multiple chinkara at one time a serious matter. He urged the Army and other agencies to treat the case with urgency, identify the culprits and take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future.