In a major wildlife crime bust, the forest department on Friday apprehended four individuals red-handed for preparing venison, allegedly hunted illegally from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

As per the official statement, the deer had initially sustained injuries following an attack by a group of stray dogs. Taking advantage of its weakened state, the accused tracked and killed the animal within sanctuary limits.

Those arrested have been identified as Pulikkachalil P.S. Sunil (59), Thadathilchalil T.S. Santhosh (56), P.K. Radhakrishnan (48), and Valamvayalil B.M. Sivaraman (62). The group was found cooking the deer meat at Sunil’s residence when forest officials conducted a raid based on a tip-off.

The operation led to the seizure of raw deer meat stored in a bucket, cooked meat, and weapons reportedly used for the hunt. The forest department stated that this act not only violated the Wildlife Protection Act but also represented a serious breach of sanctuary laws.

Authorities have launched further investigations into the matter and stressed the importance of community vigilance in protecting forest biodiversity.