Bhubaneswar: Over 6,900 poachers were arrested for killing and trafficking of 2,869 wildlife animals during the past 10 years, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia informed in the Odisha Assembly on Tuesday.
Replying to a query from Congress MLA from Jeypore Taraprasad Bahinipati, the Minister told the House that the law enforcement authorities have arrested 6,960 poachers during the last 10 years and seized different body parts of wild animals including skins, nails and horns of tigers, beer, deer, sambar and other wild lives, elephant tusks, and pangolins from them.
Singkhuntia said that while the seized elephant tusks have been stored at the State government’s treasury, the other seized items have been preserved at the Forest range offices.
He said that the State government has formed a joint task of Forest and Police departments to examine the wild animal poaching cases and take necessary steps.
