The police have arrested a poacher and recovered 4.5 kg of skin and meat of Bison at Rajnagar in South Tripura District.
The poacher who has been identified as Akash Tripura, was produced at Belonia district court on Friday.
Although the court granted him bail, it directed the police to send the seized animal skin and meat to the forensic lab and veterinary laboratory for testing.
A team of forest officials led by the assistant wildlife warden of the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Sangam Baidya had detained Akash Tripura and recovered the Bison skin and meat from his possession during a raid.
The Trishna Wildlife sanctuary in Rajnagar is well known for Bison.
However, it is unclear how many individuals were involved in the poaching of the bison.
Locals opined that the poaching of bison inside a protected forest is impossible without the help of forest staff.
“It is evident that forest staff is involved and these animals are facing the brunt of it,” a local said.
The incident has brought to light the active presence of poachers in the region and poaching activities will be difficult to curb without stern measures in place.
The Tripura government had taken a project for bison safari at the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary a
a couple of years ago.
The number of bisons is gradually increasing in the sanctuary.