Baripada, July 9: Mayurbhanj forest officials foiled an attempt of armed poachers sneaking into the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary last night.

As many as around 40 poachers, armed with country-made rifles and traditional bows and arrows, had made an attempt to enter the sanctuary through Balma teak plantation patch under the Udla range.

However, The patrolling employees of the Similipal Tiger Reserve, positioned at Jenabil, thwarted the attempt.

Bhanoomitra Acharya, an honorary wildlife warden of Mayurbhanj, said: “They were around 40, mainly in the age group between 25 and 40. They made an attempt to enter the sanctuary with rifles, apart from bows and arrows, yesterday through the Udla range.”

“Special squads for patrolling in the forest’s core as well as territorial zones have been formed for the monsoon season,” he said.

Last week, forest staff members of Kaptipada range under the Baripada forest division arrested two poachers from the sanctuary. “The villagers in the foothills of the sanctuary enter the prohibited zones both for gathering preys and timbers,” said Baripada divisional forest officer Sanjay Kumar Swain.

“Apart from the patrolling officials, we have also two sniffer dogs to prevent any undesired activity inside the core area of the sanctuary. They can detect poison if thrown by poachers and also locate the offenders. They have been proved a tool of deterrence for the poachers,” he said.

The poachers choose rains to enter the forest as the road communications during the period get deteriorated.

Anup Kumar Nayak, field director of the Similipal Tiger Reserve, said: “It has been observed of late that the poachers are active round the year and targeting the sanctuary mainly during monsoon season. For this reason, all forest officials were put on alert.”

“So far, we have been successful in preventing entry of poachers during the current season,” he said.