SHIMLA: Two persons have been arrested from Sangla valley of Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday evening for possessing a leopard skin. The arrests followed Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Delhi alerting forces and wildlife department in Kinnaur about a bid to sell the leopard skin, whose value in international market is pegged at around Rs 8-9 lakh.

While leopard skins had been seized from different parts of Himachal Pradesh in the past, this is for the first time that such a seizure has been made from Kinnaur district, located close to China border. Sources said that 90% demand for leopard skin comes from China.

Kinnaur divisional forest officer (DFO) Angel Chauhan said that WCCB Delhi had informed that some people from Chansu village of Sangla valley were in possession of leopard skin and were trying to sell it. Earlier, the villagers had struck a deal with a main dealer in Noida, but he was intercepted by the WCCB. "On receiving the information, a trap was laid to arrest people involved in the illegal trade," he said.

Chauhan said that a fake buyer contacted the accused over phone and they agreed to show the leopard skin at a location near Sangla. "Two villagers came with the skin and they bargained for selling the skin at around Rs 2 lakh, when they were arrested under section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act," he added.

Though the accused claimed innocence, only their interrogation would reveal whether they had poached the animal or had bought it from someone else. Chauhan said leopard is a protected animal and falls under Schedule I category of Indian Wildlife Protection Act. "Possession of its skin or its hunting both are banned and is an offence," he added. Maximum punishment for possessing the leopard skin is three years, while poaching will get maximum punishment is of seven years, officials said.

Past instances:

September 2013: Police seized a leopard skin and arrested a person from Mandi district.

February 2012: Two persons were arrested and two leopard skins seized during a naka at Sukki Bain area of Mandi district.

January 2012: Three persons arrested in Chaopal area of Shimla district for possessing wildlife goods including a leopard skin, two leopard skulls, about 11 kg leopard bones, 13 leopard claws and seven canines.

January 2010: A 55-year-old man arrested in the state for possessing two leopard skins.

February 2009: Four persons arrested in Shimla district and eight leopard skins seized from them.