Tura (Meghalaya ), Mar 16 : The Wildlife Department here on Sunday arrested 3 persons from Wageasi village in North Garo Hills for killing and consuming a leopard cat and posting images on Facebook .
A user on Facebook, by the name of A Chik D Shira posted two photos on his profile page, one showing how the leopard cat was trapped and two persons carrying the animal with steel wires around its neck.
It may be mentioned that Leopard cats are Schedule 1 on the list of endangered species .
It is learnt that the images of the trapped leopard were posted on social media by the poachers themselves.
Every month, there is an average of 3.5 leopard seizures throughout India. Many of the leopard parts are smuggled to neighbouring countries in Asia such as Nepal, Myanmar, Laos and Tibet.
While leopards are highly recognizable around the world, there is a lack of scientific data on their population biology and ecology. Improved knowledge about the species would help conservationists create strategies to further protect them and monitor their populations.
