Baripada: A melanistic tiger, popularly known as a black tiger, has allegedly been poached in Similipal National Park, with Forest officials arresting three persons while they were reportedly attempting to sell the animal's skin, an official said Thursday.

During a press briefing during the day, Deputy Director (South) of the Similipal Tiger Reserve, Sumit Kumar Kar, said the Special Task Force (STF) conducted a raid near Basipitha under Khunta police station limits Wednesday following intelligence inputs from its surveillance network.

The STF seized the black tiger skin, three motorcycles and two mobile phones from the accused. The accused were identified as Gangadhar Murmu, 62, of Kusumghati village, Ramdas Hembrom, 40, of Kath Aruma village, and Bhima Baskey, 40, of Joka village.

Officials said one accused sustained injuries while attempting to flee and is undergoing treatment, while the other two have been produced before a court. Kar told reporters that the animal was believed to be nearly two years old. Samples have been sent for forensic examination to determine the exact cause of death.

He also said more persons could be involved in the poaching network and further investigation was underway. Similipal is globally recognised for its rare melanistic tigers. Wildlife experts have raised concerns over repeated poaching incidents despite strengthened anti-poaching measures, including STF deployment, sniffer dog squads and AI-based surveillance systems.