Four held with leopard skin, skull and bones in Uttarakhand

Four wildlife poachers carrying leopard skin, skull and bones in a car were arrested in Pauri district of Uttarakhand, police said today.
Acting on a tip-off, the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Kotdwara police intercepted a car last evening near the Khoh river bridge on Dugadda-Kotdwara Road, Superintendent of Police Rajiv Swaroop said.
Three persons jumped out of the car and tried to run away with jute bags but were arrested. The fourth person was caught inside the car and a plastic bag containing a skull and bones of the big cat was recovered from under the seat, he said.

Seven leopard hides were found in the jute bags, the SP said.
Revealing their modus operandi, Swaroop said, the poachers used to poison the prey of leopards, which died after consuming the poisoned meat.
Of those arrested, Arjun Singh is a hide supplier, while the rest - Manoj Dhasmaana, Pankaj Rawat and Prem Singh - used to poison the leopard and skin it. All the accused were residents of Pauri Garhwal district, the SP said.
"The leopard hides are professionally skinned, giving rise to suspicion that their business was very organised," the SP said, adding a probe is on into the incident.