Two Leopard Skins Seized in Rayagada, Four Arrested in Wildlife Trafficking Crackdown

In a major wildlife crime bust, authorities in Odisha’s Rayagada district have seized two leopard skins and arrested four individuals in a joint operation led by the Rayagada Forest Department and Mumbai’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

The arrests took place on August 30 in the Kolnara area, following a tip-off that led officials to intercept the suspects during an attempted sale.

Among those arrested are two locals—Jisay Gamang of Anjarsing village and Mahesh Huika from Machkhunti—and two individuals from Maharashtra: Prabhakar Nayak and Raj Kumar Gupta of Matinagar.

According to forest officials, the leopard skins were allegedly smuggled from Gajapati district and were being trafficked to Maharashtra.

The recovered skins are believed to be from animals aged between five and seven years.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Ashok Pradhan confirmed that all four accused have been produced in court and that further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the trafficking network.

This seizure highlights the ongoing threat to India’s endangered wildlife and underscores the need for vigilant enforcement against poaching and illegal trade.