Bhubaneswar, Aug 27: More than 6,900 poachers were arrested for killing and trafficking of 2,869 wildlife animals during the past 10 years, said a minister on Tuesday.
While replying to a question from Congress legislator Taraprasad Bahinipati, Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia told the Assembly that the law enforcement authorities have arrested 6,960 poachers during the last 10 years.
They seized different body parts of wild animals including skins, nails and horns of tigers, beer, deer, sambar and other wild lives, elephant tusks, and pangolins from them.
The seized elephant tusks have been stored at the state government's treasury and the other seized items have been preserved at the forest range offices, the minister said.
