In a metropolis where roads, housing colonies, and expanding settlements increasingly hem in wildlife, hunting may seem unlikely to persist. Yet inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), wild boars, deer, and hares continue to be hunted for their meat and hide, while forest officials struggle to monitor the park’s vast, difficult terrain.The death of 60-year-old Vijay Sukharu Sapte, a civic worker from Mira Bhayandar who was allegedly mistaken for a wild boar and shot inside the park on October 20, has brought this little-seen problem into focus.A preliminary forest department investigation found his body around 450 metres inside the forest. Officials also suspect that Sapte may have been part of the group of hunters involved in the shooting.The incident is not an isolated one. In March this year, forest officials found that macaques were being shot with bows and arrows in Thane’s Upvan area. In 2019, carcasses of deer and leopards were found in separate incidents inside SGNP. The following year, the forest department launched an anti-snare drive after traps set for wild animals were discovered at multiple locations.Demand for wild animal meatForest officials said demand for wild animal meat in illegal markets remained a key driver for hunting wild boars, deer and hares, among others.Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Mumbai and director of the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), said these animals were preferred because they were relatively easy to hunt.Also Read | Family’s Diwali outing to Sanjay Gandhi National Park ends in tragedy as toddler dies in hit-and-run accident“These animals are easy to spot and hunt. They don’t attack you back and they also have a thick density. Therefore, poachers prefer hunting them considering these kinds of animals are easy targets,” Sharma told The Indian Express. He added that such incidents were rare in Mumbai compared with the interior parts of Maharashtra.Story continues below this adForest officials said the October 20 shooting took place near the Yeoor Hills range towards Thane, adjoining a creek. The location was significant because animals often approach water sources to drink, making them easier to track, officials said. Hunting protected wild animals is prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. (Express Photo)Hunting protected wild animals is prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. However, Sharma said the discovery of several live animal traps, or snares, at different locations inside SGNP in 2020 and 2021 had prompted an anti-snare drive. While the measures had reduced the problem, poaching continued.“Most of the time poachers kill these animals like boars and deer for their meat as there is a huge demand in the black market. Some poachers may also preserve their skeleton remains as a trophy,” Sharma said.A forest difficult to policeSpread across 103 square kilometres, SGNP presents a formidable surveillance challenge. Its hill ranges, creeks and inaccessible stretches make it difficult for forest officials to monitor the entire area. A force of 433 Maharashtra Security Force personnel currently patrols the park, but officials said the terrain and the scale of the forest limited effective coverage.Story continues below this ad“There are still many parts of the forest that are not accessible to the department. However, animals don’t follow jurisdictions, and often go beyond forest areas. The poachers track their movements and attack them. However, in a city like Mumbai, these incidents are still rare, but in Maharashtra’s hinterland such incidents happen very frequently,” a senior forest department official told The Indian Express.The presence of hamlets and encroachments within the forest adds to the challenge. Officials alleged that some residents provide information about animal movements or help poachers gain access to the forest.“The department has started holding sensitising camps in these villages so that they co-operate with us. Many people are still not aware that killing animals is considered a crime as per the Wildlife Protection Act,” the official said.