Leopard skin seized in Satkoshia sanctuary

Angul, Sep 23 (UNI) The skin of a leopard, killed inside the Satkoshia wildlife sanctuary last week by the poachers, was seized by the wildlife officials during a raid inside the reserve forest.

Along with the leopard skin, the forest officials also seized two country made guns and arrested one Debra Nayak, yesterday.

A team, led by the Divisional Forest officer Susanta Nanda, conducted raids in Karadpara village under Tikarpara reserve forest range following the killing of the leopard inside the sanctuary by the poachers last week.

Mr Nanda said some instruments used in poaching were also seized from the possession of Naik, while another accused involved in the poaching managed to escape from the scene during the raid.

The DFO said the accused had kept the skin of the leopard for sale.

The poacher was sent in to custody by a local court.

Official sources said during the last one decade as many as five leopards and two Royal Bengal Tigers had been killed by the poachers inside the Satkoshia wildlife sanctuary, which had been recently been declared as a new project tiger in the state after the Simlipal Tiger Project.

UNI