Rare black tiger skin seized in Similipal

Highlights

Forest department officials arrested four persons from Similipal forest in Odisha and seized skin and nails of a rare juvenile melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger from them, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Baripada: Forest department officials arrested four persons from Similipal forest in Odisha and seized skin and nails of a rare juvenile melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger from them, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The arrest and seizure were made on Sunday during a crackdown by the special enforcement wing of Similipal South Wildlife Division at Tentula and Balighat villages under Baripada Forest Division, Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) Field Director Prakash Chand Gogineni said.

The case is under investigation and other people involved in the incident are absconding. Gogineni said the State-level Joint Task Force (JTF) is supporting the Similipal team in a thorough investigation into the matter. The official was, however, silent on the source of the melanistic tiger. The four were arrested while attempting to negotiate the sale of the tiger skin. With the seizure of the tiger skin, it is suspected that the animal was killed in Similipal.