Baripada: Forest department officials Thursday arrested a tribal youth and seized the hide of a leopard, believed to have been poached inside the Similipal Sanctuary limits, from him.
The seizure was made at a place under Bisoi forest range. The man arrested on the charge of smuggling animal body parts was identified as Chandrai Murmu (22) of Dosisole village under Bangiriposi police station in Mayurbhanj district, said Laxmidhar Behera, range officer.
Behera said the forest sleuths impersonating traders contacted Chandrai to purchase the leopard hide. The youth was arrested by forest officials while he was on his way on a bike to hand over the hide near Asanbani, Behera added.
The forest officials have also seized his bike used for smuggling of the remains of the leopard, it was learnt. The seized hide has a length of 5 ft and 5 inches and breadth of 1 ft and 6 inches, the ranger officer said. PNN
