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| Forest officials (standing) show the seized tiger skin as the four accused persons sit in front of them in Baripada. Telegraph picture |
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 3: The seizure of a Royal Bengal Tiger skin from a group of smugglers in Baripada yesterday has set the alarm bells ringing in the state forest department.
The incident comes as proof that not only elephants, but even tigers are being killed in the forests of Similipal. Sources in the department said the tiger was killed about a year ago and skinned.
The four smugglers — Niranjan Mohanto, Chandrakant Sahu, Narendra Beshra and Dharanidhar Patra — who belong to Khunta in the foothills of Similipal, were caught while trying to strike a deal with a forest department official masquerading as a middleman.
Sources said given the serious nature of the crime, the probe into the matter was likely to be handed over to the crime branch. Police and forest and wildlife officials have interrogated the arrested smugglers.
The smugglers are said to have confessed that they killed the 20-year-old tiger a year ago near Phulbadia in Barahakamuda range in the core area of Similipal Project Tiger. The seized skin bears gunshot marks at two or three places.
Senior forest officials said this was the first instance of a Royal Bengal Tiger skin being seized, which indicated that poachers were now after the flagship species of the Similipal national park and tiger reserve. The reserve is said to have around 33 tigers but that number remains disputed with the central government questioning the method of counting adopted by the Similipal authorities.
The 845.70sqkm Similipal reserve has been in the news for the past sometime for the poaching of elephants, one of the major wildlife species found in the area. Last year, the park had reported 10 cases of elephant killing, leading to a nationwide hue and cry by conservationists. However, in an indication that poachers still have a free run of Similipal, the mortal remains of at least four more elephants were recovered from the sanctuary a few months ago.
The sanctuary is the only one in the state to bear the brunt of an annual mass hunting festival organised by local tribes. Called Akhand Shikar, the festival held between April and May witnesses the killing of hundreds of animals by tribal people who consider hunting at that time of the year to be particularly auspicious. Though efforts by the government have led to the de-escalation of the Shikar, it continues to be the biggest threat to this famous wildlife habitat.