Koraput: The forest department arrested eight people and seized a leopard skin during a raid at Revalkona Chowk under Kalyansinghpur forest range of Rayagada district on Saturday. Acting on specific intel inputs, a joint team of Rayagada and Kalahandi forest divisions conducted the operation and apprehended the accused while they were allegedly negotiating the sale of the animal skin. Rayagada divisional forest officer (DFO) Sachin Annasaheb Ohal said the successful operation was the outcome of sustained intel gathering and close coordination between the two forest divisions. “We received credible information regarding the illegal trade of a leopard skin and immediately launched a joint operation. Eight persons have been arrested and a leopard skin has been seized. Probe is on. Details are awaited,” Ohal said. Of the eight accused, five are from Rayagada district and three from Kalahandi district. Forest officials said the suspects were caught red-handed while attempting to sell the skin. Preliminary investigation suggests that the seized leopard skin may have originated from the Karlapat reserve forest area in Kalahandi district. According to the DFO, a leopard is suspected to have been poached in a forest located about 8 to 10 km from Bhawanipatna nearly two to four months ago. Officials said a suspected poacher from Kalahandi was earlier arrested in connection with the killing of the animal. Information gathered during that investigation reportedly led the forest department to Revalkona, where the skin was allegedly being stored for sale.
