Rairangpur (Odisha): Three tiger skins were seized on Thursday by police and forest department officials from different villages under Rairangpur block of Mayurbhanj district. Eight persons have been arrested.

Police said, the wildlife smugglers were trying to sell off these 3 tiger skins for Rs 2,40,000. Six youths riding two motorbikes were caught at ITI square in Bangiriposi, and two tiger skins were seized from them. They have been identified as Shiv Charan Soren, Dayal Munda, Mahendra Hansda, Sadhu Charan Hembram, Gopinath Singh and Hadibandhu Singh.

One of the tiger skins was 6 feet 5 inches long and 16 inches wide, while the other was 9 feet 5 inches long and 27 inches wide.

The third tiger skin was seized from Dhungiadihi and two persons were arrested. The tiger skin was 5 feet 4 inch long and 14 inch wide. The two have been identified as Bada Mahanta and Ramchandra Mahanta.

The seizure of three tiger skins reveals that rampant hunting of tigers is going on in the Similipal National Tiger Reserve.