9 September 2005

On 2 September 2005, The Royal Nepal Army made a huge seizure of 5 tiger skins, 36 leopard skins, 238 otter skins and 113 kg of tiger/leopard bones in the Rasuwa district of Nepal, bordering the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. The Army and National Park Authority arrested three people: two are Nepali nationals, while the third is a Tibetan.

According to preliminary reports received by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), the accused have claimed that the skins and bones belong to a trader from the Bouddha area of Kathmandu. They were carrying the illegal animal articles from Kathmandu, via Bidur, Dhunche and Syabru, to the TAR when they were arrested. The case has now been handed over to the Langtang National Park authorities.

This is the third major seizure in Nepal this year. On 10 August 2005, 1 tiger skin, 1 leopard skin and 103 pieces of tiger/leopard bones were seized in Kathmandu. Four people of the Bawaria community of Haryana, India, were arrested. In April 2005, 2 tiger skins were seized in Tatopani, while they were being carried to the TAR.