Two persons were nabbed by the Special Task Force of the Uttarakhand Police with two pelts believed to be of leopards killed illegally in the remote mountainous region of Uttarkashi district. The two were caught in Rishikesh on Friday by the police STF based on a tip-off about some persons poaching wildlife and looking to sell the illegal wildlife contraband to customers.
Both the arrested are locals — one hails from the Chamoli district and another from Uttarkashi district. The car, used to smuggle the leopard pelts was also impounded.
Observers point out that despite varied measures — including national and international-level workshops, utilisation of latest technology like drone-mounted video camera and helicopters — the poaching of big cats appears to be rampant. Efforts made by the authorities have failed to mitigate wildlife crime or the continuing human-wildlife conflict, which is also considered to be among the factors encouraging local villagers to poach various wild animals — including leopards for sale of wildlife contraband.
According to official sources, the Dehradun police STF had received a tip-off about poachers carrying out the illicit sale of the body parts, pelts and other wildlife contraband of wild animals reportedly poached in the jungles of the remote mountainous areas of the border district of Uttarkashi.
STF Senior Superintendent of Police P Renuka Devi formed a team to act against the wildlife crime based on the information. The police were conducting search operation in Rishikesh on Friday, when they caught two men who were identified as Padam Singh Bisht hailing from Dharapani village, Gairsain in Chamoli district and Girish Nautiyal hailing from Hareli village, Dharasu in Uttarkashi district.
The duo was caught with two leopard pelts about nine feet in length. They were travelling in car with registration number UK 10- 1546.
According to the STF official, a case has been booked against the duo under Sections of the Wildlife Protection Act in the Rishikesh police station. The arrested were being questioned. The STF estimated the value of seized leopard pelts at about Rs 12 in the international market.
Observers said that though the forest department and various Government institutions connected to wildlife, environment and law enforcement among other spheres, regularly organise a range of events including training workshops, seminars, field trips and other activities for ‘capacity building’ against wildlife crime.
However, the efficiency of the forest department’s work is influenced negatively by factors like the continuing shortage of resources including staff and political interference which prevents the authorities from executing the stern measures which would help mitigate scope for poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife contraband.
