Himalayan Ibex shot by poachers rescued, four held in Ladakh

A Himalayan Ibex with a gunshot injury was rescued and four poachers were arrested from a remote area connecting Leh and Kargil districts in the union territory of Ladakh, police said on Wednesday. The Himalayan Ibex is India's largest wild goat.

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The operation was carried out jointly by the wildlife department and police on March 28, they said.

The Himalayan Ibex was shot by poachers near Tsibskyangchan in Kanji village, some 140 km from Leh town on March 28, Khaltse Station House Officer (SHO) Jamyang Namgial said.

Both front limbs of the animal were found broken and it was successfully rescued. Four poachers were also arrested and the weapon of offence was recovered during the operation, he said.

The animal has been shifted to Leh and is undergoing treatment there. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act against the arrested accused, Namgial said.

He identified the accused as Abdul Hussain and Mohd Akbar of Hagnis village, Mohammad Ali of Shakar and Nazir Ali of Chiktan.

Besides a .315-bore gun belonging to Hussain, a chopping board, fur, several knives and some dried meat, which was sent for forensic examination, were seized from them, the SHO said.