In Kanakapura Range of the Ramanagara forest area, hunting and killing wild boars is common, more so since the government issued an order allowing farmers to hunt wild boars within village limits.
In a brutal case of apathy, two sloth bears were killed on Thursday after crude bombs exploded in their mouths, a report by The New Indian Express said.
The crude bombs were concealed in waste chicken, which was kept in a farm land, about 10km from the forest, which was meant to trap wild boars, the reports said.
The male and female bears, which were around five years old, were attracted by the smell of the meat and entered the farm land. While the bears tried to dig into the meat, the crude bombs exploded in their mouth and killed them, it adds.
Around four to five crude bombs were concealed in chicken meat and spread across the field and these tactics are common in the region, forest officials told TNIE.
A case has been registered against two farmers under section 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act, for causing the death of a protected animal.
Forest officials said that an alert was sent out to the forest guards patrolling the area. When they arrive on the spot, they found the mutilated remains of the two sloth bears in Thanasandr Circle village in the region, the report says.
The crude bombs have been causing the death of other animals besides the wild boars and the government order permits the farmers to hunt only wild boars and no other animal. This easy tactic of hunting game has endangered other protected wildlife. Besides, these bombs could also have caused damage to a human being and has the potential of maiming the person, if accidentally stepped on, a forest official told TNIE.
Praveen Bhargav, a trustee with the Wildlife First has written to the government seeking the modification of the order allowing the farmers to hunt wild boar.