Without Veerappan, who will save Karnataka's forests now?

While Veerappan’s memory evokes fear 13 years after his death, wildlife activists claim that he had a deterrent effect — preventing any competition from other poachers. Now, they believe that smugglers and poachers are daring to enter forests for poaching and smuggling of sandalwood.

"The irony is that the many poachers who are caught these days are from a sound economic background and know that killing wild animals is an offence. Few years back, a team of youngsters were arrested from Billigiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve Hills covering Bandipur and extending up to M.M. Hills in Tamil Nadu. The youngsters were involved in game hunting and had killed wildlife," said Sharath Babu, wildlife warden, Bengaluru Urban District.

Ullas Karanth, a conservation zoologist and expert on tigers, explained that the profile of poachers has evolved, with two types in existence: the traditional poacher, who traps and catches animals, and poachers who are from well-off categories. He added the latter category basically hunts for game and then for meat and these types of hunting are getting glamorised.

"It is shocking to see techies and educated persons hunting animals; ironically, the people will shout slogans when a tree is being cut in Bengaluru and other areas. These poachers should not be given any bail and a jail term of about five to six years will bring down poaching," said Karanth.

• poacher
• poaching
• Veerappan
• wildlife
• crime