A man who had trapped and killed a Sambar deer and traded bushmeat had been fined Rs 105,000 by Wellawaya courts yesterday (09).
The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) stated that a resident of Buttala, Okkampitiya road area was arrested and produced to courts over possessing the meat of a freshly killed sambar.
According to wildlife officials, the suspect had committed several offences under the Fauna and Flora protection ordinance, which prohibits killing, exhibiting, selling and possessing meat or body parts of protected animals. The Sambar deer is a highly protected species in the area.
The officials added that the suspect also had been exhibiting 31 parcels containing one kilogram of wild boar meat each, in addition to 13 bags containing one kilogram of Samber meat each.
The DWC officials also produced a knife and axe which had been used for chopping meat and a freezer which had been used to store the illegal bushmeat.
The courts had ordered the confiscation of the freezer used by the suspect.
