Police seize rare animal skins

2007-12-13 21:11

New Delhi - Police arrested an alleged major wildlife poacher in southern India on Thursday and seized 65 animal skins in the second large anti-poaching raid in one week, wildlife officials said.

Police in the state of Karnataka arrested a notorious wildlife trader known as Prabhakar, seizing 43 otter skins, 21 leopard skins and one tiger skin, according to the Wildlife Protection Society of India, which assisted in the raid.

The raids took place in the town of Hubli and the village of Haliyal in northern Karnataka.

Prabhakar purchased animal skins directly from poachers and is believed to have controlled much of the illegal wildlife trade in southern India, according to Belinda Wright, executive director of WPSI.

The police broke up a major tiger poaching ring in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh last week and arrested an alleged leader and 15 others.

There are no more than 1 500 tigers left in India's reserves and jungles - down from about 3 600 just five years ago and an estimated 100 000 a century ago, according to the Indian government.

Otters, like tigers, are highly endangered. Leopards are not under as severe a threat, but are protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.

- SAPA