Leopard skin seized

TT, Jalpaiguri, May 12: The forest department today arrested a person and recovered the skin of a leopard at Chalsa after receiving a tip off.

The arrest was made by the Belakoba range of Baikunthapur forest division.

"We had information that members of a racket indulged in the smuggling of animal parts were trying to sell a leopard skin, which they had brought from Bhutan. We made a plan and accordingly, communicated with the smugglers, posing as potential buyers. The smugglers told us to come to Chalsa where the deal would be struck. Accordingly, our team moved to the location this afternoon," a senior forest officer said.

The foresters found three persons approaching them. "One of them had the leopard skin in a bag. As we surrounded them, two of them managed to escape but the one carrying the skin was caught," the officer said.

Chalsa is 30km from here.

The arrested person has been identified as Ashu Lohar, a resident of Samsing Tea Estate, 7km from Chalsa.

The leopard is around seven feet long.

"During preliminary interrogation, the arrested person has told us that they got the skin from Samtse in Bhutan and were planning to smuggle it into Nepal. There are at least two bullet marks in the skin. It seems the animal was shot dead by poachers," Sanjay Dutta, the Belakoba range officer, said.

Lohar will be produced in the chief judicial magistrate's court in Jalpaiguri tomorrow.

Woman mauled

A woman worker of the Rungamuttee Tea Estate near Malbazar in the Dooars was attacked by a leopard on Thursday.

Debi Mijar, aged around 50 years, was plucking tea when the animal attacked her and mauled her head. As she shouted for help, the leopard fled. Other workers ran and rescued her. She was taken to the subdivisional hospital in Malbazar and later, referred to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.