The state’s special task force alone has been confiscating an average of one leopard skin in a month since 2020.
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch of Odisha Police has seized four leopard skins in the last ten days and 25 since 2020. The seizures made by the STF alone indicate that several large networks of wildlife criminals may be operating in the state’s forests.
If the seizures of the State Forest and Environment Department are taken into account, the number of leopards killed and the average number of prey will be much higher. In October 2021, the Odisha Forest and Environment Department confiscated nine leopard skins in a case in Kalahandi.
According to the STF, a special drive against wildlife offenders and poachers was launched in 2020. Besides 25 leopard skins, the agency has also arrested 13 ivory, seven deer, nine live pangolins, over 16 kg of pangolin scales, and 55. Persons charged with crimes against wildlife.
“Based on credible information, a team of STF conducted a raid on NH49 near Telibani in Deogarh district on January 6 with the help of Deogarh forest officials, resulting in the capture of a wildlife offender identified as Madan Kumar Jaipura. ,” the agency said. During the search, a leopard skin, an ivory tusk and 1.770 kg pangolin skin and other incriminating material were recovered from him.
On December 29, a leopard skin was recovered from a criminal.
On January 5, two criminals were arrested and two leopard skins and other incriminating material were recovered from them. The leopard skin was sent to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for chemical testing.
“Recently, both the STF and the forest department are working in a coordinated manner and on a mission mode. The result is obvious. STF Deputy Inspector General of Police Jai Narayan Pankaj said that continuous recovery of leopard skins will have an impact on criminals in future.
But activists allege that most wildlife crimes involving hunting leopards and elephants have gone undetected in the past few years.
Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of the Wildlife Society of Orissa, an environmental pressure group, said, “The state has become a graveyard of wild animals. The leopard skins seized over the years are just the tip of the iceberg. Criminals are acting fearlessly.”
“Though there have been seizures and criminals caught red-handed, rarely cases have ended in a conviction. Probably a flaw has been proved in the last decade.
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