Poachers Busted: Affluent Hunters Caught Using Firearms and Hounds to Kill Wildlife

As of October 15th, 2025, the forest department in southern India has been exerting increased pressure on poachers using firearms and hounds to hunt wild animals, particularly during weekends and festivals when they gather at farmhouses with friends and families.

Recently, forest officials nabbed a team of hunters who had poached a spotted deer in a reserve forest near Alangulam. During the investigation, they discovered that a ruling DMK politician was the key figure behind this poaching ring, who immediately went into hiding after the search for him began.

Further crackdowns led to the seizure of sophisticated firearms purchased from a Dindigul-based trader, which the hunters had fine-tuned to make them more lethal. These weapons were used to kill spotted deer and sambar deer near Alangulam, with the hunters coming from Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts.

The forest department has now issued appeals to the public to inform them about any firearms being used by hunting groups, mostly comprising affluent families, businessmen and politicians. They have promised to protect the identities of informants and provide cash rewards. However, the appeals have not yet received a significant response.

In a recent incident, forest officials nabbed a team from a farmhouse near Kadambur in Thoothukudi district, where they were partying with venison. The investigation revealed that the hunters had used both hounds and firearms to hunt down a spotted deer for their weekend gathering.