Man Arrested in Odisha for Allegedly Poisoning Leopard to Death
Forest officials in Berhampur have made a significant arrest in a wildlife crime case, apprehending a 31-year-old man for allegedly poisoning a leopard to death in the Chakapada area under the Tikabali forest range of Kandhamal district. The incident occurred approximately a year ago, highlighting ongoing challenges in wildlife conservation.
Seizure of Leopard Skin and Arrest Details
Acting on a tip-off, a team of forest personnel, led by Tikabali range officer Rashmiranjan Swain, caught the accused, Pankaj Kanhar, red-handed on Saturday afternoon. He was standing at Kalaradadi, near Bramanapada, with a leopard skin measuring 164 cm by 41 cm in his possession. The accused, a resident of Ringibadi, was immediately arrested after confessing to the crime during interrogation.
Phulbani divisional forest officer Pratap Kottapalli stated, "On interrogation, the accused admitted that he had poisoned the big cat on May 15 last year, after it killed one of his cows. This was an act of retaliation against the leopard."
Details of the Poisoning Incident
According to forest officials, the leopard had killed one of Kanhar's cows, prompting him to take revenge. He decided to hunt the big cat by poisoning the carcass of the cow. The next day, the leopard returned to the cow-shed to feed on the carcass and was found dead nearby, succumbing to the poison.
Phulbani assistant conservator of forests Swetaleena Sahu explained, "In retaliation, the accused had decided to hunt the big cat by poisoning the carcass of the cow. Next day, the leopard came to the cow-shed to eat the carcass but was found dead nearby."
Post-Incident Actions and Challenges
After the leopard's death, Kanhar, along with his uncle Basant Kanhar, de-skinned the carcass. They buried the meat and bones in the forest and hung the leopard skin from iron nails to dry it. However, the co-accused uncle has since died, complicating the investigation.
Sahu added that they could not retrieve the buried meat and bones of the leopard, as the incident occurred almost a year ago. Despite this, forest officials have recreated the crime scene to gather evidence and understand the full extent of the wildlife crime.
This case underscores the persistent threats to endangered species like leopards in India and the efforts by forest departments to combat wildlife crimes through vigilant enforcement and community tip-offs.
