Balasore: As many as nine people were arrested on Monday in connection with a suspected case of poaching of the rare black (melanistic) Royal Bengal Tiger in Mayurbhanj district.Acting on a tip-off, the forest department on Sunday conducted a raid near Kuliana village under Baripada forest division where the skin of the tiger was reportedly being dried out in the open. Officials caught two persons red-handed at the spot and seized the tiger skin from their possession.The operation soon widened and based on sustained interrogation, seven more suspects were tracked down and arrested. All nine accused are residents of Mayurbhanj district. Authorities believe more individuals could be involved and an intensive investigation is underway.Confirming the nine arrests, divisional forest officer (DFO) Gobinda Chandra Biswal said, “The tiger was around three years old and is suspected to have been killed nearly a month ago. We are probing to ascertain the involvement of others, if any.”Officials have withheld photographs of the seized skin and the identities of the accused, citing the sensitivity of the ongoing probe. “Releasing details at this stage may hamper the investigation,” the DFO said, assuring that complete information will be shared after the inquiry is done.Preliminary findings suggest that the tiger may have been poached inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve, the only natural habitat of the rare melanistic tiger in the world. The accused were allegedly planning to sell the skin in the illegal wildlife market for a hefty price.
