Bhubaneswar: The Forest Department Saturday seized a tiger’s paw, nail and four whiskers from Damodarpada jungle at Khajuria village near Bhatli in Bargarh district.
Three have been arrested in this connection, said DFO Abhay Kumar Dalei.
The accused have been identified as Sushil Bhoi, Satyaban Sahu and Gauri Mirddha of Khajuria village. The seized body parts are believed to be of a Royal Bengal Tiger.
But the department hasn’t yet concluded whether the seized body parts are that of a leopard whose carcass was recovered from Damodarpada jungle in Debrigarh Sanctuary near Khajuria village or that of a tiger.
The department will conduct tests to finalise the identity, reports said.
Last Sunday a decomposed body of a leopard was exhumed in Damodarpada forest. Assistant Inspector General of Forest, Nagpur, Hemant Kamdi is scheduled to visit Odisha Sunday.
Similarly, Deputy Regional Director, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Jabalpur, Abhijit Ray Chaudhury is also coming to Odisha to find out the veracity of the Forest Department’s claim.
Abhijit Ray Chaudhury will look into the crime angle of the incident. At the same time, a team of Odisha Crime Branch is also visiting the spot Sunday.
Honorary wildlife warden, Khurda district, Subhendu Mallick demanded that the seized body parts should be brought to OUAT for tests, or OUAT Pathology department head Dr Sushen Kumar Panda, who has conducted post-mortem on many tigers, be taken to the spot for the same.
PNN