Forest officials in Mancherial uncovered a leopard poaching racket in Ootla village, Dandepalli mandal. Three men were arrested for attempting to trade 13 leopard nails.
Forest officials arrested three persons at Ootla village in Dandepalli mandal of Mancherial district for allegedly trading wildlife articles. Thirteen nails suspected to belong to a leopard were seized. Officials suspect the animal might have been poached months earlier
In many places, big cats prey on livestock as an easy source of food, causing problems with ranchers who moving into cat territories. Often these ranchers will hunt the cats to protect their livestock, which in many places is the only source of income for people. Snow leopards, lions, cheetahs, and jaguars all face this challenging threat
According to the researchers, at least 100 million plants and animals are internationally trafficked each year and the international wildlife trade is said to be worth between USD 4-20 billion per year.