Date:18/05/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/18/stories/2007051813700500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Man arrested; tiger skin seized

Staff Reporter

The seized tiger skin.

BANGALORE: The staff of the CID Forest Cell arrested a man who was trying sell the skin of a tiger he had allegedly killed about a month ago.

The police seized the tiger pelt, estimated at Rs. 2.5 lakh in the illegal market, from Muthappa of Chikka Alathur village near Hanur in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district.

He was arrested near Lokaranjan Road bus stop in Nazarbad police station limits in Mysore on Wednesday, the police said.

According to the Inspector-General of Police (Forest Cell) K.S.N. Chikkerur, Muthappa claimed during the interrogation that he had poisoned the tigress in Punjanur forest a month ago.

When the tigress died after eating the poisoned meat, it was skinned and the pelt was removed for sale in the illegal wildlife market.

The police are on the lookout for Muthappa's accomplice Mola who is suspected to have skinned the tigress. "We are also investigating whether the tigress was killed in Punjanur forest or some where else," Mr. Chikkerur told The Hindu.