Daltonganj: Villagers handed over 31 country-made muzzle-loading guns to Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) during Wildlife Week in 2026, up from 23 in 2025, PTR south division deputy director Kumar Ashish said.The voluntary disarmament initiative began in 2025. Earlier, PTR patrol teams seized handmade weapons during operations. Ashish said the handovers reflected villagers’ growing attachment to wildlife and concern for its safety, rather than a ceremony or ritual. PTR sources described the initiative not as a formal laying down of arms but as removing objects harmful to wildlife.Field director S R Natesha said villagers had demonstrated concern for wildlife. He said PTR was in contact with law-enforcement agencies to ensure they faced no harm or inconvenience.The number of muzzle-loading guns in villages inside, outside and near PTR is unknown. PTR sources said such weapons were common across 190 villages.Villagers cited protection from wildlife entering settlements and damaging crops as reasons for possessing them. A PTR tracker alleged they were used to kill wild boars for feasts. A villager said the weapons were not regarded locally as status symbols but were used for crop protection and hunting opportunities.Sources said the guns had not been used during rescues of venomous snakes in PTR. Such guns killed a large tusker in the reserve in the early 2020s.
