A peaceful Friday night walk turned into an unimaginable nightmare in Odisha’s Nayagarh district, where a young man lost his life after getting caught in an illegal trap allegedly set by poachers.
The victim, identified as 32-year-old Babula Nayak, was a resident of Kanadi village under the Duda panchayat within the Banigochha police station limits. The incident has left his family and the entire local community plunged into deep mourning, particularly as it occurred just as his newborn daughter celebrated her one-month milestone on Saturday.
According to local reports, the tragedy unfolded late Friday night as Babula was heading to visit a close friend at Nageswar Sahi. Unbeknownst to him, miscreants had illegally set up a wire snare in the Daspalla forest area to hunt wild boars. Babula accidentally walked right into the hidden trap, which immobilised and severely injured him.
Desperate for survival, the young man reportedly cried out for help into the dark night. Tragically, due to the remote location and the lateness of the hour, no assistance reached him in time. He succumbed to his injuries before help could arrive.
Growing Outrage Over Illegal Poaching
The tragic incident has thrust the issue of rampant illegal hunting back into the spotlight. Local residents have raised serious concerns over what they describe as unchecked poaching activities in the Daspalla forest range, accusing local authorities of failing to crack down on the hidden traps that threaten both wildlife and human lives. Questions are now mounting regarding the forest department’s vigilance and enforcement efforts to prevent such dangerous hazards from being set up on public forest trails.
Upon receiving information about the incident, local police swiftly arrived at the scene to launch a formal investigation. Babula’s body was recovered and transported to the Daspalla Community Health Centre for a post-mortem examination.
Authorities have stated that investigations are ongoing to uncover the full circumstances surrounding the tragedy and to identify the individuals responsible for setting the deadly trap. Further details are awaited as police continue their probe.
