Over 100 wildlife articles, including leopard claws, seized from Shimla jewellery shops; 6 arrested

Forest Department teams arrested six people after seizing more than 100 wildlife articles, including 86 suspected leopard claws, five teeth, another claw of an unknown animal, and 10 feathers of unidentified birds, from six jewellery shops in Rohru, Shimla district.

The action was taken on Tuesday after authorities received a tip-off about the unauthorised possession and sale of wildlife items. Following this, the department launched Operation Clawing Back and raided shops in Main Market and Lower Bazaar.

The three-hour operation involved a 45-member team of Deputy Rangers, Forest Guards, and Van Mitras, who conducted simultaneous raids and recovered the items. Five shop owners and one manager were arrested in connection with the case.

Divisional Forest Officer N Ravishankar said the seized articles are likely intended for use in jewellery and will undergo forensic examination in coordination with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and other laboratories to determine the species, age, and authenticity of the items.

A case has been registered against the accused under sections 42A, 44, and 49B of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Operations would intensify in the coming days, with more action expected against those involved in poaching, hunting, and the illegal trade of wildlife articles, the officer added.