A man has been arrested for being in possession of two Leopard skins in Himachal Pradesh, India, Police at Chowari in Chamba District approached the man the evening of Monday 13 May 2019, as he was waiting by a road with a large bag. The man responded by running away, causing the officers to give chase and detain him. The bag was found to contain the skins of two adult Leopards.
Police officers in Chowari, Himachal Pradesh, with two Leopard skins seized this week. ANI.
Leopards are considered to be Vulnerable under the terms of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, with the Indian subspecies, Panthera pardus fusca, considered to be particularly vulnerable due to India's rapidly rising Human population, which has resulted in agriculture and other Human activities expanding into many former wilderness areas. Trade in Leopard skins is not completely banned internationally, with CITES allowing some African countries to issue permits for trophy hunting of the animals. However, in India Leopards are strictly covered by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and owning Leopard body parts will almost always be treated as a criminal offence.
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