Tigers At Threat in Similipal: Royal Bengal Tiger Skin Seized, 1 Poacher Arrested

Mayurbhanj: Days after the elephant poaching incident and cover-up in Similipal, the Special Task Force (STF) seized a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) skin from an arrested poacher.

A Special Task Force (STF) unit seized a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) skin at Sridamchandrapur village under Udala Tehsil. While one poacher was arrested, two others eluded capture.

The STF team carried out a raid, while the poacher gang was negotiating a deal to sell the tiger skin in the market. The RBT skin was seized from the possession of the arrested person.

Experts suspect that the big cat may have been hunted a month ago.

At the same time, environmentalists criticised the forest authority for lack of proper security because of which extensive poaching continues in Similipal.

Three Similipal Tiger Reserve employees were suspended earlier this week after claims surfaced that they had burned an elephant’s carcass and dumped the remains in a river. The tusker was killed by poachers inside the wildlife sanctuary and its tusks were sawn off.