Two individuals nabbed for killing endangered deer

Two individuals who slaughtered an olu deer — an endangered and strictly protected species in Sri Lanka — were arrested yesterday evening by officers of the Bulathkohupitiya wildlife office.

Wildlife office officials state that the suspects were apprehended based on information received during a patrol conducted by officers of the Bulathkohupitiya wildlife range office.

The two arrested suspects are residents of the Aranayaka and Bulugammana areas in Bulathkohupitiya, aged 52 and 62 years.

Interrogations conducted by wildlife officials revealed that the suspects are two individuals who hunt wild animals by setting traps.

Wildlife officials state that the suspects have slaughtered a well-grown female olu deer.

During the raid, 10 kilogrammes of meat from the hunted female olu deer and 5 snares used for hunting were seized from the possession of the suspects, and during further investigations conducted based on confessions made by the suspects, wildlife officials managed to discover buried body parts, including the head and skin of the slaughtered animal.