Itanagar: The forest department of Pasighat in East Siang district has caught eight persons in connection with wildlife hunting cases till date after conducting an inquiry into the crime.
Unabated hunting of wild elephants was reported from the forests in the Mebo area. Unidentified poachers killed a couple of wild elephants near Siluk village under Mebo sub-division and captured an elephant calf. They took it to Dambuk in Lower Dibang Valley, a source said here on Friday.
The forest officials subsequently picked up four persons from Siluk (East Siang) and Dambuk (Lower Dibang Valley) villages and booked them under Wildlife Protection (WLP) Acts. Later, they were handed over to police for further action. The accused, however, managed to get bail.
Later, a joint team of forest department and police nabbed four others, including two elephant trainers, from Kerem area of Namsai district early in February. The investigating team also recovered two elephant calves from their possession.
According to report, the four accused (arrested under WLP Act) have admitted their offence before the investigating officers.