Leopard skin seized from a village in sanctuary

Angul, Sep 21 (UNI) Satkosia Wild Life Sanctuary officials have seized the skin of a leopard, killed a week ago, and two country made guns during a raid from a village inside the sanctuary last night and arrested one person.

Wild life sanctuary office sources here said the accused was forwarded to court today.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Divisional Forest officer Susanta Nanda raided Karadpara village under Tikarpara reserve forest range late last night and seized the skin, two country made guns and some others instruments used in the poaching.

While one Debra Naik of the village was taken into custody, some others involved in the poaching managed to flee.

The accused were suspected to be from adjacent Banarpal and Narsinghpur village. A massive manhunt was on to arrest them, sources said.

It may be recalled that in last ten years two Royal Bengal Tigers and five leopards have been killed by poachers. The sanctuary has recently been included in the project tiger scheme launched by the Centre along with seven others in the country.

UNI