Leopard Poaching and
Seizure
29th May, 2003
There are definite
indications that the leopard is facing an increased
threat from the skin trade. As many as 98 leopards have
been lost to poaching in India in the last five months
alone!
WPSI personnel assisted
the Haryana Police at Samalkha with the interrogation
of the men arrested on 22 May with 7 leopard skins and
18 otter skins.  The
traders said that the skins had been obtained from Uttaranchal
and were to be taken to Delhi. The arrested men also
said that they knew some of the 16 poachers who were
arrested last year in connection with leopard and bear
poaching in the State of Andhra Pradesh in South India
last year. Some of these poachers were from Samalkha,
while the others were from Katni in Madhyra Pradesh.
It is clear that poaching is now being
co-ordinated on a national scale.
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