Bat Hunting Bust: Eleven Arrested in Odisha

Eleven individuals from Bhubaneswar were arrested in Odisha's Cuttack district for alleged bat hunting. The Forest Department intercepted an auto-rickshaw near Khuntuni, finding 796 dead bats and four alive. Arrests were made under the Wildlife Protection Act, with bats caught from an abandoned factory and trees using nets.

In a significant wildlife conservation case, eleven individuals from Bhubaneswar were arrested in Odisha's Cuttack district on Monday for alleged bat hunting activities.

The Forest Department acted on a tip-off and intercepted an auto-rickshaw near Khuntuni, where officials discovered 796 dead bats and four alive, packed in two bags.

According to Chichilichi Biswal, the acting divisional forest officer of Athgarh, the accused were apprehended under the Wildlife Protection Act. The bats were reportedly captured using nets in an abandoned factory and some trees in Khuntuni.

(With inputs from agencies.)