Leopard Poaching Goes Rampant: Another Big Cat Skin Seized In Berhampur

Berhampur: Two days after three leopard skins were seized from smugglers in Nabarangpur district on Sunday, another leopard skin has been seized at Baliapada area in the district on Monday evening.

Acting on a tip-off on the trafficking of leopard skin, a team of forest department officials conducted a raid in Balipada area and arrested one person in this connection.

The accused had planned to sell the skin to one Krushna Patra of the area for Rs 15,000, informed Berhampur forest division DFO Amlan Nayak, adding that the accused will be taken into custody for further investigation into the matter.

Notably, on September 13, forest department personnel had seized three leopard skins and arrested four persons from Tentulikhunta area under the Nabarangpur forest range.

Earlier on September 3, a 40-year-old man was arrested in Mayurbhanj district for allegedly poaching wild animals inside the Similipal National Park. A leopard skin measuring 153 cm x 31 cm had been seized from his possession.

Leopard skins are used for home decoration or in the making of luxury carpets, sources pointed out.

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