Hide of Royal Bengal Tiger seized in the buffer zone of Odisha’s famed Similipal Tiger Reserve

Odisha’s STF arrests one while the hide was being traded off, two persons escape 

A day after Orissa High Court rapped the State Forest Department for its inability to prevent elephant poaching in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), one of the largest tracts of contiguous forest in India, Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police on December 14 seized a hide of Royal Bengal Tiger, population of which is dwindling in the State.

The tiger hide was seized from wildlife traders from Udala area in the buffer region of Similipal. According to Vanoomitra Acharya, former honorary wildlife warden who has long years of experience in working in Similpal, he was tipped off by sources that a tiger hide was up for sale.

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“I informed the STF and at the same time followed it with the trader. We offered to pay ₹5 lakh for the one hide of tiger which was mutually agreed,” said Mr. Acharya.

Subsequently, a trap was laid with help of STF personnel. When traders came by a bike to deliver the tiger skin near Belpal Chhak under Udala police station jurisdiction to deliver the hide in the wee hours of Wednesday, the STF personnel grabbed him. Two others who were accompanying the accused escaped from the spot taking advantage of darkness.  

The length of the skin was above 7ft and width is about 3.5 ft. The accused has been identified as Samarendra Patra of Musakhai village.

 “We are sending the skin to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun to carry out further biological examination so that age of tiger and time of killing can be ascertained,” said Jai Narayan Pankaj, Deputy Inspector General of STF.