TIRUCHI
The Forest Department officials on Monday arrested 12 persons on the charge of poaching a fox allegedly using a country bomb stuffed in a bait. The 12 persons were noticed near Perur a few kilometres away from Tiruchi by local police personnel on rounds and on suspicion they informed the police station.
The 12 persons were thereafter taken to the Jeeyapuram Police where they were inquired. Since they had a dead fox in their possession, they were handed over to the Forest Department to carry out further legal action.
Forest Department officials said the 12 persons hailed from Poolangudi village near Tiruchi and had resorted to poaching the fox near Mekkudi on Sunday. Thereafter, they left for Perur where they were noticed by police personnel on rounds. The dead fox in their possession was seized and an inquiry is being conducted with the arrested persons.
Authorities on Monday arrested twelve people in Tamil Nadu, India after a  died trying to eat a bomb embedded in meat that subsequently exploded. Jackals are protected in India.
File photo of a jackal.
Officials said a police constable, reportedly one Vijayaragavan, saw the twelve with the dead jackal in , decided to question them after they aroused suspicion at a tea stall, and learned they were responsible for the jackal's death.  The forestry department arrested them.  According to local news sources, the constable found the jackal's bagged carcass after inquiring.

The suspects range in age from 21 to 78 and were identified as  from the village of Poolangudi.  They were taken into the custody of the forestry department. Authorities said the killing occurred in  forest in a bid to gain jackal meat and teeth.

The  lists jackals as a protected species. India's jackals face attention from poachers, who sell the parts. One study in the '''' from March noted authorities seized 126 skins, eight tails, 16 skulls and two live jackals from 2013 to 2019. The same study also noted over 370 "jackal horns" seized in the same period. Jackal horns are crafted from skulls of jackals and are considered .

Last week, in the neighbouring state of Kerala, one suspect was arrested in connection with the death of a pregnant female elephant suffering from explosive injuries.  Authorities said they believed a fruit filled with firecrackers had exploded in the elephant's mouth, damaging her jaw and ultimately leading to her death.