Leopard Skin Seized; Poacher Arrested in Odisha’s Kandhamal

Kandhamal: In a successful anti-poaching operation, the Odisha Police Special Task Force (STF) seized a leopard skin and arrested one wildlife criminal in Kandhamal district on Sunday night.

Acting on credible intelligence, a joint team of STF personnel and local police raided a location near Manipadar village under Phiringia police station. The raid led to the apprehension of Belarsen Kanhar, a resident of Kurkanapali (Kelapada) in the same police station.

During a search, the officers recovered the leopard skin, Rs 5,500 in cash, and other incriminating materials from Kanhar’s possession. Unable to produce any legal documentation for the leopard skin, Kanhar was arrested and will be presented before the court.

The STF has registered a case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The seized leopard skin will be sent to the Director, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun for biological examination.

The investigation into Kanhar’s activities and the source of the leopard skin is ongoing.