By IANS
Koppal (Karnataka) : Three people have been arrested and three sloth bears rescued from them during an anti-poaching operation in the Koppal district of Karnataka.
The Karnataka forest department rescued a four-month old bear cub and two other bears on a tip-off by Delhi-based NGO Wildlife S.O.S and One Voice Association, said Vasudha Mehta, spokesperson of the NGO, Wednesday.
The bears were being used for performing shows and stunts, which is banned under the law.
With this seizure, the total number of dancing bears rescued and rehabilitated in India by the state forest departments and Wildlife S.O.S in the last five years has risen to 400.
“The raid teams totalling 25 people from the forest department, police personnel and Wildlife S.O.S anti-poaching unit carried out the raid operation,” Srinivasulu, district forest officer, Koppal, said.
According to Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder, Wildlife S.O.S, “This operation is a result of extensive intelligence gathered over the past few months since the seizure carried out in other states earlier this year”.