India: Wildlife officials on Tuesday arrested two persons for killing a leopard in Talpada area of Rairangpur division in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district.

Official sources said the leopard's skin and a country-made gun have been seized. The leopard was killed on Sunday night and the wildlife officials could know about the incident on Tuesday following a tip off by the honorary wildlife warden Kishor Mandal. The two poachers were arrested with the skin at a roadside dhaba.

The arrested are Surendra Singh and Rabi Murmu. The STR deputy director Ajit Satapathy said three more persons involved in the poaching are absconding. "We have initiated an enquiry into the incident. We have launched a manhunt to nab the three absconding poachers," he said.

In May, the government came up with leopard census report according to which, there are 318 leopards in various forests and sanctuaries in the state. Out of 318, there are 144 male, 154 female and 20 cubs.

The killed leopard in STR was an adult male. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has been intimated about the incident, officials said.

The Similipal reserve has been in the news for deaths of elephants due to anthrax. Seven elephants had died due to anthrax in last 20 months. On September 13, anthrax caused death of two elephants, a calf and an adult, whose carcasses were found near Gudgudia under Karanjia forest division bordering Jharkhand in STR.

(Source: Times of India)