Poachers run wild in Kalka

PANCHKULA: The Pinjore-Kalka border has become a den for poachers as the Panchkula wild life department has seized a number of animal skins from this belt. According to officials, the maximum number of accused arrested in such cases from the district hail from Himachal Pradesh. Sources said the poachers dress up in a shabby manner to evade scrutiny from the authorities.
"Poachers get high rates in Panchkula. The selling business is carried out in Pinjore and Kalka. They buy it at a price of 15,000 to Rs 20,000 and sell it to buyers in Delhi for Rs 50,000. The animal skins are then are smuggled to Nepal, where they are sold at the rate of Rs 1 lakh," said a senior wild life department
official.
Panchkula wild life officials have seized five panther skins from Pinjore and Kalka out of seven such cases. One of the major breakthroughs came on June 9, 2007.
Two more skins were recovered from the accused after his arrest. Another accused, Daulpia was nabbed from Kalka with one panther skin on February 5, 2002. Recently, the wild life team arrested an accused with two panther skins from Pinjore on June 16.
"Such activities have increased in these areas. Our teams have stepped up patrolling and hopefully we will nab more such accused in the near future", the official said.