Bhubaneswar: In a major anti-poaching operation, the wildlife wing of the forest department arrested four persons and seized six bait bombs along with a dead male wild boar killed using the crude explosive-laced food ball inside Biripal reserved forest under Angul forest division on Tuesday night.Forest officials said the operation was carried out during a night patrol by the Rengali forester and his team in Gandamala beat under the Rengali section of Kaniha range. The timely seizure of six bait bombs planted inside the forest helped prevent further wildlife casualties, officials added.The four arrested accused have been identified as Ripun Kumar Matiari of Parachhat village, Jogeswar Penthoi of Ditikrushnapur, Malia Penthoi of Parachhat, and Khetra Kisan of Purunapani. A motorcycle was also seized from them. All seized items were brought to the Kaniha range office for legal action.Divisional forest officer (DFO), Angul, Nitish Kumar, said the investigation is focused on tracing the origin of the explosives and understanding the modus operandi adopted by the accused. “The bombs were seized and probe is on to find out how and where those had been made. Also, the scene was recreated to understand how the four poachers planted the bomb to lure the boar,” Kumar said.Bait bombs, often concealed inside edible material, are considered one of the cruellest methods of hunting as they explode when bitten by an animal, causing severe injuries and often death. Wildlife officials said the seizure prevented the possibility of more animals falling victim to the deadly traps.The incident comes barely two months after a similar bait bomb tragedy at Banki on the fringes of Chandaka wildlife sanctuary. A bull had accidentally consumed a bait bomb that was reportedly intended for a wild boar. The explosive detonated inside its mouth, causing catastrophic injuries. The animal died despite intensive veterinary treatment.Officials said intensified patrolling and strict enforcement will continue across forest areas to curb poaching and protect wildlife in Angul division.