Sambalpur (Orissa): A wildlife trader was arrested on Saturday near Charmal town in Sambalpur district of the eastern Indian state of Orissa. The arrest was made in an undercover operation conducted by Orissa Forest Department officials, assisted by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

One leopard skin was recovered from the accused, Mannu. Bullet holes in the neck region of the skin revealed that the leopard was shot.

Interrogation of the accused revealed that the leopard was killed by members of Savar community in Khaswa village, about 20 km north of Charmal, along the Sambalpur-Cuttack highway.

“One of the persons involved in poaching has been arrested by the authorities. A man-hunt for the mastermind has also been initiated,” said an enforcement official with WTI.