Baripada, Jan 15: Forest department officials seized the skin and nails of a melanistic Royal Bengal Tiger from the Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district and arrested four poachers in this connection, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as Ajambar Naik, Pitambar Naik, Rama Naik, and Bairam Murmu. They are residents of Tentula and Balighat villages under Baripada Forest Division in the district.

The arrest and seizure were made on Sunday during the crackdown by the special enforcement wing of Similipal South Wildlife Division, at Tentula and Balighat villages within limits of the Udala Police Station, informed field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), Prakash Chand Gogineni.

The four were arrested while attempting to negotiate the sale of the tiger skin, he added. With the seizure of the tiger skin, it is suspected that the animal was killed in Similipal.

The case is under investigation and other people linked to the incident are absconding, Gogineni added.

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