Bhopal August 2, 2026

The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) has busted an organised interstate leopard poaching racket, leading to the arrest of seven accused and the recovery of leopard bones and other body parts linked to the killing of 10 leopards across protected forest areas in the state.

The action was taken under the directions of the Madhya Pradesh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Dr Sameeta Rajora. The operation followed the arrest of four alleged wildlife traffickers by a joint team of the Agra Forest Division and Uttar Pradesh Police in Agra on July 23. The accused, two each from Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, were found in possession of 10 leopard skins and other wildlife derivatives.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the interstate wildlife trafficking network had links with Madhya Pradesh. Acting on these leads, the State Tiger Strike Force formed special teams and launched search operations in Agra and several districts of northern Madhya Pradesh.

On July 30, joint teams of the STSF, Kuno Wildlife Division, Sheopur Forest Division and Morena Forest Division conducted raids at different locations in Sheopur and Morena based on information provided by the accused. The teams identified suspected poaching sites and recovered a large quantity of leopard bones and other body parts.

Forest authorities have registered two separate wildlife offence cases in connection with the operation. During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to hunting 10 leopards. Of these, six killings were reported from the Kuno Wildlife Division, two from the Sheopur Forest Division and two from the Chambal Sanctuary under the Morena Forest Division, according to the investigation.

Officials also recovered leg-hold traps, which are believed to have been used for trapping the animals. The recovery has strengthened the investigation into what authorities described as an organised wildlife crime network operating across state borders.

The seven arrested accused are residents of Jhar Baroda village in Vijaypur tehsil of Sheopur district. Further investigation is underway to trace other members of the network and identify possible links in the illegal wildlife trade. Forest officials are also examining whether the gang was involved in other poaching cases in the region.

In a fresh breakthrough, the Guna Forest Division has arrested four more accused in a separate leopard poaching case reported from the Agra Beat under the Guna North Forest Range. Acting on technical evidence, field intelligence and sustained surveillance, forest officials recovered a leopard's head, four paws, skin and other body parts allegedly concealed by the accused. A knife and an axe, suspected to have been used in the hunting, were also seized.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly told investigators that the leopard's head and claws were removed for use in traditional medicine, while the skin was taken away after they were led to believe it could prevent diseases in livestock. The Forest Department has registered a case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and said further investigation is underway to identify other persons linked to the poaching network.

The operation assumes added significance as several of the alleged poaching sites fall in and around Sheopur and Vijaypur, the landscape that also includes Kuno National Park, home to India's ambitious Project Cheetah. Over the past four years, Kuno has emerged as a symbol of wildlife conservation after African cheetahs were reintroduced there under a nationally significant programme. The crackdown on leopard poaching highlights the parallel challenge of protecting native wildlife from organised trafficking networks operating in the same landscape.

Wildlife experts say the case underlines the need for stronger intelligence-led enforcement across the Kuno landscape, which today supports not only the country's expanding cheetah population but also leopards, wolves, hyenas and several other protected species. With Project Cheetah drawing international attention to the region, authorities face the twin challenge of ensuring the safety of reintroduced cheetahs while strengthening protection for the area's existing wildlife.