(IN) Seizure of Panther Skins:Notice to wildlife officials

February 10, 2008

Seizure of Panther Skins

Notice to wildlife officials

Tribune News Service

Ropar, February 7

The ways things are in the department of forest it seems the right hand doesn't

know what the left is doing. Higher officials in the department of wildlife have

no knowledge about two sensitive cases at Hoshiarpur.

Former DFO, Hoshiarpur, RR Kakkar had claimed to have recovered panther skins

and sambar anklars last year from alleged poachers. However, the higher

authorities of department of wildlife have no knowledge about the cases.

Sources in the department said the chief wildlife warden had issued show notice

to present DFO, Hoshiarpur, as to why details of cases had not been provided to

him.

After the notice, forest officials at Hoshiarpur started searching for files

pertaining to the said cases. However, till date they have no recovered any

record. In addition, forest officials also do not have any knowledge about the

recovered panther skins or sambar anklars.

The present DFO, Hoshiarpur, Swaran Singh, when contacted admitted that a

show-cause notice had been received from the chief wildlife warden. He said

after receiving the notice he tried to search files and material pertaining to

the case but failed to locate them. The report regarding it would be sent to the

chief wildlife warden.

Panther is protected under schedule-1 of the wildlife protection act and is an

endangered species. Anyone found possessing the skin is liable to three years

imprisonment. After per the law the DFO after recovering the panther skins

should have informed the chief wild ife warden within 24 hours. The recovered

skins should also have submitted to higher officials of the department of

wildlife so that they could have been sent for examination to appropriate

laboratories for assessing their originality. Panther skins, as per the act, are

state property and should have been destroyed after completing the formalities

in the case. The wildlife higher officials' information about the priced catch

of panther skins is limited to stories carried in newspapers. They have now

issued show-cause notice to lower officials on the basis of newspaper reports.

Sources said the panther skins might be lying in police custody. However, until

the skins are got verified by higher officials of the wildlife department from

appropriate institute or laboratory, it would be difficult to establish charges

of poaching against the accused.

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