Odisha: STF seizes Royal Bengal Tiger's skin from Similipal tiger reserve
Dec 15, 2022
Mayurbhanj (Odisha) [India], December 15 : The Special Task Force (STF) on Wednesday arrested a wildlife criminal with the seizure of the skin of 7 feet long Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT).
Two Royal Bengal Tigers were killed by poachers in the Similipal tiger reserve.
The STF raided a place near Bisipur on Baripada-Udala road while the criminals were striking a deal with a customer to sell the skin of the Royal Bengal Tigers they had killed.
Secretary of Wildlife Society of Odisha, Biswajit Mohanty condemned the poaching incident and said that the incident exposes the lack of protection for wildlife investigators of Simlipal tiger reserve.
"A tiger skin was seized in Mayurbhanj district. Which obviously comes from the Simlipal tiger reserve. This exposes the lack of protection for wildlife investigators of the Simlipal tiger reserve. Since a few days ago an elephant was found burnt and destroyed by the forest staff present there. Since the last year repeated cases of elephants being burnt and buried have been exposed in the state. But no action has been taken by any senior forest officers who were supposed to supervise and monitor patrolling activity in the field. So unless and until any strong action is taken against senior forest officers as per the 2012 circular of the Odisha government this lack of protection for wildlife all across in state as well as in Simlipal tiger reserve will continue," said the Secretary of wildlife society of Odisha Biswajit Mohanty.
Meanwhile, Wildlife conservationist and research person Vanoomitra Achariya said that the government is spending crores of rupees to protect the wildlife but the senior officers are not monitoring the activity inside the jungle.
"The big cat was shot dead by a wildlife criminal in the Similipal tiger reserve a month ago. State government and central government are spending crores of rupees to protect those scheduled one category wildlife but neither the senior label officers nor others are not monitoring activity inside the jungle. Recently, in the month of April Keonjhar wildlife division under Simlipal arrested a smuggler allegedly possessing a 9 feet long Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) in Keonjhar district," he added.
