A Royal Bengal Tiger has been killed purportedly by poachers in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The matter came to light after the Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch seized the skin of a Royal Bengal Tiger from a poacher in the wee hours of Wednesday.

The seizure was made from a village on the outskirts of the tiger reserve following a tipoff. The STF is, however, yet to ascertain when the killing took place. The disturbing news surfaced just 12 hours after Orissa High Court rapped the state forest officials on Tuesday on the killing of a tusker and burning of its carcass in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve by the forest officials who hid the incident from their higher-ups.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIG), STF, Crime Branch, J.N. Pankaj told The Telegraph: “For the first time, we have seized the skin of a Royal Bengal Tiger. The forest officials have also confirmed the skin is that of a Royal Bengal Tiger. We will send theskin to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, for autopsy. Once the autopsy reportcomes, the age of the Royal Bengal Tiger and when it was killed will be ascertained.”

Former honorary wildlife warden Bhanu Mitra Acharaya said: “I received a specific lead in the case about the tiger skin deal. I contacted the Special Task Force of the Crime Branch. Along with the STF officials, I approached the poacher posing as a buyer. A deal was struck to buy the skin for Rs 5 lakh. When the poacher brought the skin, he was arrested by the STF officials.”

However, two associates of the poacher managed to escape. Sources said the STF got the specific lead that the poacher had in his possession another Royal Bengal Tiger skin and 8kg of ivory.

Meanwhile, the three forest officials who were involved in the burning of the carcass of an elephant and dumping it into a stream inside the Simlipal sanctuary were arrested on Wednesday.