New Delhi: Two tiger skins were seized at Padrauna close to the border with Nepal. The Wildlife Trust of India assisted in this seizure, which took place on March 1, 2002.

Acting on WTI’s tip-off, forest department officials arrested one person by the name of Latlan Srivastava. The raiding team was lead by the Divisional Forest Officer of Padrauna.

Wildlife Trust of India data base shows seizures of 37 tiger skins in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal in 2001, while the corresponding figure for figure 2000 was 10 skins and 132 tiger claws. Wildlife Trust of India is doing a formal wildlife trade study of the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal under a contract from the governments of these two states.

A total of 551 wildlife offence cases were have been recorded in Uttar Pradesh state in 2001. The proximity of these two states to Nepal is major cause, which will be studied on both sides of the border in the next phase of

the study.