Balasore, Feb. 10: Security of the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary has been beefed up following an advisory from the state wildlife chief to stay alert as elephant poachers were active in the area.

“On receipt of the advisory, patrolling has been intensified. On three to four occasions, our employees have thwarted the poachers’ attempts to enter the sanctuary. More so, we have a canine squad, which is actively helping in the vulnerable pockets,” said Anup Nayak, field director of the Similipal Tiger Reserve.

“Though district police had carried out raids on some houses in the identified pockets, it didn’t yield much success. Our staff members are on duty with arms. The vacancies would be filled shortly after arrival of the new trained officers,” he said.

Though the tiger reserve authorities said the security had been fortified and patrolling intensified, a wildlife activist said many other things had to be executed to protect wildlife in the sanctuary.

Honorary wildlife warden Vanoomitra Acharya said a large number of country-made rifles and ammunition were available at the villages surrounding the tiger reserve.

“The poachers have as many as 4,000 illegal fire arms. They are around 500 in number to be spotted at 1,200 villages that surround the core area. A group is active in Kaptipada and it is getting help from another poacher gang at Udala,” said Acharya, adding that they had recently received an advisor from the principal chief conservator of forests.

“According to information, the poachers have stored a large number of fire arms at the villages located between Thakurmunda and Bangiriposhi,” he said.

Possession of illegal arms poses a serious concern for the wildlife security. In 2010, about 600 armed poachers took some forest staff members hostage after trapping them during their course of patrolling in the Upper Barhakamuda range.

Another wildlife activist said there could be around 50 to 60 tuskers in Similipal.