Leopard Killed in Kawal Tiger Reserve, 3 Arrested
They suspect the poachers killed the leopard using a snare trap and later burnt the carcass to destroy evidence.
Adilabad: Forest officials on Saturday arrested three persons in connection with the suspected poaching of a leopard in the Utla forest area of Thallapet Forest Range in the Kawal Tiger Reserve in Jannaram of Mancherial district.
Officials suspect the animal may have been killed about four days ago. Forest staff inspected the scene of offence and collected evidence. They suspect the poachers killed the leopard using a snare trap and later burnt the carcass to destroy evidence.
A sniffer dog, Hunter, was pressed into service to trace those involved in the killing. Forest personnel seized 13 nails of the leopard and other wildlife articles from the accused. The arrested were identified as Modthe Venkatesh and Modthe Srinivas of Utla village and Vanaparthi Srikanth of Pathamamidipalli in Dandepalli mandal.
Forest officials said further investigation is under way.
Forest officials examine the suspected poaching site in the Utla forest area under the Thallapet range of Kawal Tiger Reserve at Jannaram in Mancherial district on Saturday, where a leopard is believed to have been killed and later burnt. A sniffer dog, ‘Hunter’, was deployed to help trace the accused.