Panaji, Jan 17 (IANS): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday, in an ongoing assembly session, said that action must be taken against any gang involved in killing leopards and selling their parts internationally.

Revolutionary Goans Party MLA Viresh Borkar had mentioned in zero hour about the suspicious activities of killing leopards in the coastal area. He had raised doubts about the notorious inter-state mafia and poachers involved in selling teeth and nails of tigers and leopards.

Borkar mentioned the recent incident of death of a leopard from being trapped in a snare wire in south Goa.

Sawant, replying to him, said that he will instruct forest officials to look into such matters and take strict action if anyone is found killing wild animals. "I will instruct forest officials to look into the cases of killing wild animals using wire snare," Sawant said.

In December last year, the government had ordered an inquiry into the death of a leopard, found trapped in a wire snare near the village area of Kopordem-Sattari at the outskirts of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in Sattari taluka.

Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane had then said that he had asked the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest to investigate the case and find those responsible for laying traps.

"Strict action should be taken on such incidents. The practices of killing wild animals by setting traps should be stopped. Such practices can also put people in trouble, hence they should be stopped," he said, adding that people also can get trapped while they move in the areas wherever such traps are laid.

"I have told forest officers to enquire about this incident and to find out who had laid the trap, but it should be without harassing people," Rane said.

He said that the practices of even killing wild boars using traps also should be stopped. "Even killing wild boars by using firearms should be stopped. We hear about such cases."

"People should follow the law. They should not do illegal things. I don't want people to fall in trouble if cases are filed against them under forest acts," he said.

In 2020, a tigress and her three cubs were found dead in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary allegedly due to poisoning.