Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
AsiaWire/Tik Tok
This Indian man has been arrested after uploading a social media video of himself with a protected porcupine which he allegedly stoned to death in order to eat it.
The man, who has been named as Manjunath Biryalhissa, 25, in reports was arrested in Kalaburagi in the Indian state of Karnataka after posting a video showing his friends with the dead Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica).
Local media report Biryalhissa, who is known in the area for his TikTok videos, had caught the porcupine with his friends in the Sindagi area before stoning the animal to death.
One of the videos he posted to social media shows him smiling in front of the dead porcupine as his friends, who have not been named, appear to be skinning it.
Another clip shows him posing with the porcupine alone and reports state the group fried the animal’s body and ate the flesh.
Forest department officials then reportedly launched an investigation as the Indian crested porcupine is protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act and hunting them is prohibited.
The officials said they tracked Biryalhissa down “through his Facebook account” where had posted his hometown and they arrested him on 1st March.
It is unclear if the suspect has been charged.
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