Panther skin and skull seized, four arrested

ERODE: Forest department personnel have seized the skin of a panther and its skull, meant to be smuggled to Karntaka, during a vehicle check near Hassanur, 80 km from here and arrested four persons.

Officials said they received a tip off that the skin and skull would be smuggled to Karnataka, following which forest officials from Satyamangalam (Tamil Nadu) jointly conducted vehicle checks with their counterparts from Chamarajnagar in Karnataka.

They stopped a van near Hassanur on the Hassanur-Mysore main road and a check revealed the skin and bone hidden inside. The four van occupants were arrested.

On being questioned, the four said they had planned to trap the panther and mixed poison with beef at Mavellam near Satymangalam. But the animal ate it and died. They immediately removed the skin and skull with the intention of smuggling it to Karnataka to sell it for a hefty price, they said.