Odisha STF seizes tiger skin; one held

Bhubaneswar, Dec 14 (IANS) The special task force (STF) of Odisha crime branch on Wednesday seized one tiger skin and arrested one person in this connection, an official said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of STF conducted a raid with the help of forest officials of Baripada forest division early morning near Belpal Chhak under Udala police station in Mayurbhanj district.

The officials seized a Royal Bengal tiger skin and arrested a wildlife criminal Debasish Patra @ Sibu, of Musakhai village of Mayurbhanj district.

In this connection, the STF has registered a case under relevant sections of IPC and Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The recovered skin will be sent to Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun for biological examination, they said.

As the Similipal tiger reserve is located very close to the area from where the tiger skin was seized, questions are being raised on the protection of wildlife animals in the reserved forest area.