Leopard skin seized during raid; 3 poachers arrested in Nayagarh

In a significant operation, forest officials in Odisha's Nayagarh district have detained three suspects on the charges of hunting a leopard and smuggling its skin. The arrests were made during a raid in the Gania forest range, under the Nayagarh Forest Division, where forest authorities seized a leopard skin and weapons, used in poaching activities.

Conflict with Wildlife

The incident reportedly began when a leopard attacked a goat belonging to a villager named Trinath Pradhan in Khalsahi village, part of the Gania forest range. In retaliation, it is alleged that Trinath, along with Bimbadhar Nayak and Ramachandra Dalabehera, utilised electric traps and firearms to kill the leopard in between December and January.

Operation Details

According to a forest official, acting on credible information, personnel from the Nayagarh Forest Division coordinated with the Mahanadi Wildlife Division to execute a successful operation. During the raid, they discovered the leopard’s remains along with a shotgun at Trinath's property. Meanwhile, two more suspects remain elusive and are yet to be arrested.

Conservation Challenges

Such activities underline the broader conservation challenges faced by authorities in Odisha, as they strive to protect endangered wildlife while also addressing the grievances of local communities.

The incident underscores the enduring human-wildlife conflict in the area and highlights the obstacles forest officials confront in tackling poaching.

"The leopard skin is around 2 feet in body length, with around 6 feet full length. During interrogation, they confessed to killing the leopard between December to January. Since the leopard had killed their goat, they decided to kill the leopard,” informed DFO Khyama Sarangi.