BENGALURU: A major wildlife haul was unearthed by the Bengaluru south division police on Saturday with the seizure of 400 leopard nails, six tiger nails, one female Black Buck skin, one jackal skin with head and seven pangolin nails.
The police also seized two jungle cat paws and three sloth bear claws, and have arrested four poachers. They now plan to go after the buyers also.
The seized items have been verified as genuine by the Forest Department. Officials of the forest and police departments are now tracking records on wild animal deaths in Karnataka and neighbouring states.
According to police, searches were conducted in South Bengaluru as many jewellery stores were eager to buy animal parts.
Poachers claim to be first-time offenders: Cops
“WE got a tip-off that the items were being sold to jewellery shops and they have a set of regular customers who demand that animal parts be fixed in gold lockets. We laid a trap and nabbed the poachers who are tribals.
While two of them are said to be from Hunsur near Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, the other two said they are from Madanapalle in Andhara Pradesh,” a police official said. He added that though the poachers claim to be first-time offenders, their details are being matched with police and forest department records.