Hyderabad: Rachakonda police seized the skin of a male leopard from four poachers on Monday at Rachakonda, about 65 km from Hyderabad.

Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mahesh Bhagwat said that the accused were part of eight to 10 member gang of poachers, who regularly hunted tigers as they knew the skin and nails of the animal are in high demand in the black market.

The four on being interrogated said they had killed the two-year-old leopard and skinned it about three months ago after setting a wire trap in a forest near Srikakulam at the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border.

The gang told police they had informed some other people about it and were searching for prospective customers to buy the skin for between Rs five lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The CP said cops apprehended four persons from Mayur Lodge and seized the leopard skin and nabbed the accused.

Hyderabad: Police nabbed a gang of tiger poachers&seized leopard skin, y'day. Mahesh Bhagwat, Commissioner of Police Rachakonda, says,“Team apprehended four persons from Mayur Lodge, LB Nagar&seized one leopard skin, four nails & one car from their possession.”#Telangana (15.04) pic.twitter.com/oXvIlGd5Tj
— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2019