Three more arrested for using dogs to hunt wildlife in Maharashtra

The three accused apprehended by forest officials

Following the arrest of a man in Sangli for using his pet dog to hunt small wild animals, the Maharashtra Forest Department has apprehended three more individuals linked to the case. One of the newly arrested suspects also used a hound breed dog, named Rani, for hunting. Officials are now probing whether a larger network is involved in using hunting dogs to target species such as monitor lizards, hares, and jackals.

mid-day had earlier reported on the arrest of Umaji Jagannath Malme, a resident of Dudhi Bavi village in Kavathe Mahankal taluka, for allegedly training his Mudhol hound, Babya, to hunt small and medium-sized wild animals. Malme reportedly filmed his dog's hunting activities near forested areas and grasslands, sharing the footage on Instagram under the handle babya_king_302.

Accused uploaded videos on Instagram of the hounds hunting, racing

A senior forest official from the Sangli Forest Department stated, "During interrogation, Malme disclosed the names of others involved in similar hunting activities using hound dogs. Acting on this information, a search was conducted on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of Bharat Dagdu Dudhal, Govind Pandit Chavan, and Sumit Bapu Hegde - all residents of Dudhebavi. They were presented in court and remanded to one-day forest custody."

Authorities have seized the accused's motorcycles, mobile phones, nylon ropes, and the hunting dog Rani. The investigation is ongoing, with officials exploring the possibility of a wider hunting racket.

Social media led to arrests

The Sangli Forest Department received a tip-off that Malme had been uploading videos of his Mudhol hound hunting wild animals. His Instagram account contained multiple clips showing hound dogs being used for illegal hunting.

Malme had also posted videos of dog racing, where hound breeds competed. Several videos of suspected illegal dog races from Maharashtra are available on social media. In western Maharashtra, Mudhol hounds, greyhounds, and Punjab hounds participate in 200-metre straight-track races, where two dogs compete at a time. In some cases, a dog chases a bike, and the fastest dog is declared the winner.

In Punjab, greyhound racing was once common, but opposition from animal welfare groups and NGOs has led to a decline in such events.

Officials speak

Honorary Wildlife Warden Rohan Bhate highlighted concerns about an organized network using hounds to hunt wildlife in Sangli, Satara, and Kolhapur. "The forest department must investigate thoroughly and take strict action. These dogs are also used for illegal races at the village level," he said.

Kedar Gore of the Corbett Foundation said, "Hunting wildlife, whether with dogs or otherwise, is illegal in India. Forest officials need to maintain strict vigilance, regulate the sale and purchase of these specialised dog breeds, and address the underlying craze for bushmeat hunting."

Pawan Sharma, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Thane and President of NGO RAWW, described the practice as both illegal and inhumane. "Using dogs for hunting not only endangers wildlife but also risks the spread of zoonotic diseases like canine distemper and rabies. Many injured animals fall prey to predators, increasing the risk of disease transmission. It is crucial to dismantle the demand-supply chain of illegal dog breeding for such activities," he said, urging a deeper probe into a possible syndicate operating in the Sangli, Satara, and Kolhapur regions.