A rare leopard hide, with the coat pattern comprising straight streaks rather than the usual jagged spots called rosettes, has been seized from the residence of an alleged poacher in Indore in Madhya Pradesh, a state government official said on Friday.
It was recovered on Thursday after the residence of a man, identified as Gaffar, was raided in Friend's Colony in Chandan Nagar area here, he said.
"This is a rare leopard which is found only in the country's Western Ghats. Normally the coat pattern changes as per the pigment melanin, excess of it giving the skin a black shade, like in the case of the black panther," he explained.
The official said Gaffar was arrested and produced in court, while four of his accomplices were held earlier, for allegedly smuggling animal skins, in November last year.
Probe into the smuggling network and past crimes of the gang are underway, he added.
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