Farmer killed for ‘stopping deer hunting’, Rajasthan village tense as angry residents set fire to shops

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50-year-old Khet Singh was attacked with sharp weapons while he was sleeping in his field. His brother’s complaint alleges he was killed because he stopped a group of armed men from hunting deer days earlier.

Written by Parul Kulshrestha
Jaipur | September 6, 2025 02:33 PM IST

Newsguard

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jaisalmer spJaisalmer SP Abhishek Shivhare said that three accused, Ladu Khan, Alam Khan and Khete Khan, have been detained and their vehicle seized. (Photo: X/@ANI)

The village of Dangri in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district has remained tense since a 50-year-old farmer was murdered earlier this week, allegedly after he tried to stop people from hunting deer.

According to police, Khet Singh was attacked with sharp weapons while he was sleeping in his field on the night of September 2. Seriously injured, he lay unattended the entire night until village residents found him in the morning and rushed him to the Fatehgarh government hospital. Doctors later referred him to Barmer in critical condition, where he died during treatment.

Jaisalmer SP Abhishek Shivhare said that three accused, Ladu Khan, Alam Khan and Khete Khan, have been detained and their vehicle seized.

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“We have detained three accused and the role of another person is still under investigation. If proven, then he will be arrested as well. We are yet to conclude that this incident happened because of deer hunting. The investigation is still on,” the SP said.

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Following the murder, angry villagers set fire to four cabins, including a tyre tube shop linked to the accused. Police immediately deployed personnel in the area, erected barricades and restricted the entry of outsiders to maintain peace. The SP appealed to villagers to remain indoors and warned against spreading misinformation online, saying that strict action would be taken against those trying to disturb communal harmony.

The victim’s brother, Swaroop Singh, has lodged a complaint at Sangar police station, saying that 10 days ago, Ladu Khan and Alam Khan had come armed with guns to hunt deer and argued with Khet Singh when he opposed them. Swaroop alleged that the same men, along with accomplices, attacked and killed his brother on September 2.

Police said the situation in Dangri village remains tense but under control as of Saturday.

Duck populations resilient despite drought, here’s what that means for the upcoming season | 5OUTDOORS

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The 2025 duck breeding survey shows steady populations at 34 million, but habitat loss remains a concern.

Author: Skot Covert (KFSM)

Published: 2:13 PM CDT September 5, 2025

Updated: 2:13 PM CDT September 5, 2025

https://www.5newsonline.com/article/life/outdoors-nature/duck-populations-hunt-upcoming-season-5outdoors/527-0ed66df8-b104-4d0e-8744-84fb4f2b1920
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Every year, waterfowl hunters, biologists, and conservationists across North America pay close attention to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s breeding population and May pond survey. It is the gold-standard snapshot of duck numbers and habitat conditions, shaping everything from federal hunting regulations to the strategies of conservation organizations.

The 2025 report, released earlier this week, shows total duck populations at roughly 34 million, virtually unchanged from last year. While that figure is still about 35–40% lower than the record highs of the late 2010s, experts say the stability is noteworthy given years of drought across the Prairie Pothole Region, the most critical breeding ground for ducks.

“It’s a story of resilience,” said Dr. Mike Brasher, senior waterfowl biologist with Ducks Unlimited and host of the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. “We’ve seen long-standing drought on the prairies, yet duck populations have essentially held steady the past few years. These birds are finding habitat elsewhere and are able to maintain themselves, even if they can’t grow in numbers without consistent wet conditions.”

Credit: Ducks Unlimited

Why It Matters

The survey covers nearly every species of duck and goose in North America and is the primary dataset used to set hunting regulations. While this fall’s hunting season is based on last year’s numbers, this year’s data will influence the 2026 frameworks.

According to Brasher, the accompanying Adaptive Harvest Management report confirms that hunters can expect liberal seasons across all four flyways again next year, including:

  • Continuation of the three-pintail daily bag limit.
  • A four-mallard bag limit in the Atlantic Flyway.
  • A shortened teal season in some areas due to slightly lower blue-winged teal numbers.

“In large part, regulations will look very similar next year,” Brasher said. “The science supports it, and the collaborative process between the Fish and Wildlife Service and state agencies ensures hunters have opportunity while protecting populations.”

Conservation Challenges

Despite stable numbers, long-term concerns remain. Brasher emphasized that ongoing habitat loss across the prairies — through grassland conversion, reduced CRP acreage, and wetland drainage — threatens future rebounds.

“When the rains return, and they will, we’re all anxious to see how strong the response will be,” Brasher explained. “We know ducks can bounce back, but with less habitat on the landscape than in decades past, recovery may not be as dramatic or as fast.”

Ducks Unlimited, with partners in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, continues to focus on conserving and restoring habitat across the continent. The Prairie Pothole Region remains its top priority, along with the Canadian boreal forest and key wintering grounds in Mexico. Much of this work happens in cooperation with farmers, ranchers, and private landowners.

“Conservation is a team effort,” Brasher said. “Ducks Unlimited doesn’t do this alone. We work alongside agencies, corporations, and especially the people who live and work on the land.”

Looking Ahead

While the numbers may not represent a dramatic rebound, Brasher encourages hunters to see them as evidence of resilience and a reminder of the importance of habitat.

“Mallards, in particular, continue to show their adaptability,” he noted. “They’re stable and widespread, which keeps hunting opportunities strong even during dry years. But for long-term growth, we need wet prairies and healthy grasslands.”

As fall approaches and hunters prepare for another season, the data offers a balanced message: populations are holding steady, opportunities remain strong, and the future of waterfowl depends on continued conservation.

For full survey results and detailed species-by-species breakdowns, visit Ducks Unlimited’s 2025 survey page.Close Ad

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Elephant culling plan in South Africa faces backlash over welfare concerns

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Shanna Hanbury

Elephant culling plan in South Africa faces backlash over welfare concerns

4 Sep 2025South Africa

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Animal welfare groups in South Africa are pushing back against a local government plan to allow culling and trophy hunting to reduce elephant numbers in Madikwe Game Reserve.  

According to the North West Parks and Tourism Board, which oversees the 75,000-hectare (185,000-acre) wildlife conservation area in the country’s north, the elephant herd has grown too large. More than 1,600 elephants now live in Madikwe, more than triple the planned capacity of 500.

“Population reduction strategies will include both culling applied together with contraception at least,” board CEO Jonathan Denga told Mongabay by text message.

Animal welfare NGO Humane World for Animals told Mongabay its offer to introduce contraception at Madikwe has been repeatedly postponed since 2020, and still hasn’t been implemented.

Denga also suggested the board is open to relocating elephants to other conservation areas. “We will not preclude any requests for live elephants should anyone come to the fore and they have adequately suited habitats,” he said.

In 2024, 75 elephants died from starvation amid the region’s worst drought in a century, sparking concerns over the park’s management. But the proposed solution to kill more elephants, which Denga called a “realistic” option, has intensified criticisms.

In a July statement, the board said it wouldn’t “be driven by emotions or agendas that seek to keep South Africa and our province in the economic doldrums.” Revenue from hunting and culling would be reverted back into the reserve, it added.

South Africa’s largest animal welfare organization, NSPCA, condemned the plan, saying culling and hunting should never be routine solutions for controlling wildlife populations.

“We are alarmed by the framing and normalisation of lethal reduction as both viable strategy and economic opportunity,” it wrote in an Aug. 13 statement. “Elephants are sentient, intelligent beings with intricate social structures and emotional lives.

“Economic hardship, inequality, and community upliftment are real and pressing challenges,” NSPCA added. “But these cannot be solved by reducing living beings to financial levers.”

The average price to hunt an African elephant in 2023 was $26,500. For comparison, hunting a critically endangered black rhinoceros costs $300,000, while lions and buffalos are priced at about $13,000 a head. That’s according to data by the Professional Hunters Association, obtained by an access-to-information request by the Daily Maverick and reviewed by Mongabay.

A tender published in May 2025 by the North West Parks and Tourism Board, which has since been recalled and deleted, reportedly advertised 25 elephants, two black rhinos and 10 buffalos for trophy hunting at Madikwe.

Andrew de Blocq, environment spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance, a ruling coalition party, said the current situation could have been avoided. “Elephants don’t grow from a population of 250 to 1,500 overnight. They’ve known for a long time this was coming, and they’ve done very little to nothing about it,” he told Mongabay in an audio message.

Banner image: Elephant in Madikwe, South Africa. Image by Debbi via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).