Bhubaneswar, Apr 8: The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Odisha made such a revelation that one can imagine the rate of tiger and pangolin poaching going on in the jungles of the State.

PCCF (Wild Life) Sushant Nanda said the forest department seized five pieces of leopard hide from the Gajapati district while they were being transported outside the State. A big racket of tiger skin smuggling is active in the State, he said.

Besides, the skin of a fishing cat and the skin of a leopard cat and 26.1 kg of pangolin scales have been seized.

Claiming that they knew about the transporters and traders of tiger skin, Nanda said the kingpin of the racket is on the run now and a manhunt has been initiated to nab the kingpin and the poachers who are associated with him.

Nanda said the department has started an investigation to know if tiger bones and fats are being transported to a south-eastern country where medicative oil is prepared from these parts of the tiger body.

He said various efforts have been initiated with the help of AI (Artifical Intelligence) to check poaching in jungles

"IR cameras have been installed at various places. These cameras are taking snaps of poachers without a flash. Such cameras will be installed in the Kuldiha and Satakoshia sanctuaries. Ex-Servicemen will be deployed in Kuldia in the coming days, he said.

The PCCF further informed that a special JTF has been formed for the Satakoshia. As many as seven watch towers will be erected in Chandak to check poaching.

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