Odisha turns burial ground for leopards
160 leopards were poached in state in the past 10 years
Odisha, which has already earned a dubious distinction among wildlife lovers as a graveyard for elephants, reportedly seems to be fast turning to be a burial ground for leopards. The seizure of five leopard skins in the last four days at Nabarangapur and Berhampur has exposed the wildlife smuggling racket in Odisha.
Poachers are indulging in mindless killing of the wild cats for their hides as reports pour in from the districts about seizures.
According to wildlife experts, at least 160 leopards have been poached across Odisha in the past 10 years. In July, 2020 the Special Task Force of Crime Branch of Odisha police had seized five leopard skins indicating its largescale poaching.
Previously in June 2020, a joint team of Chhattisgarh Police and Odisha forest department had arrested a skin trader with a leopard skin in Nuapada district on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. In the same month the Special Task Force of Odisha Crime Branch had seized four leopard skins from Ranapur Range and arrested three people in Nayagarh district.
“Odisha is a haven for wildlife poachers and traders as we have been seeing huge levels of tiger and leopard poaching leading to a drastic fall in their population. The forest department despite abundant resources and legal powers has miserably failed to control poaching even in tiger reserves like Simlipal and Satkosia,” alleged wildlife conservationist and former member of National Board for Wildlife Dr Biswajit Mohanty.
Even when leopard skin traders are apprehended red handed they are not prosecuted properly as a result of which there is not a single conviction for leopard skin trading or poaching.
“In April, 1996 one of the
largest seizures in India was done near Khurda when 21 leopard skins were seized from one wildlife trader.
However, the accused is yet to be convicted in this case and he is on bail since 24 years,” said Dr Mohanty.