Bargarh: In a new twist in the ongoing probe into the death of the animal, whose carcass was found in Debrigarh forest here in the district last week, it is believed to be a Royal Bengal tiger, not a leopard.

The probe suggested that the animal carcass was of the Royal Bengal tiger, said Forest & Environment Additional Chief Secretary Suresh Kumar Mohapatra today.

"The pug and moustaches seized from the arrested accused poachers were of a Royal Bengal tiger,” he told media reporters.

Four persons were arrested in this connection and action will be taken against the accused for killing the wild animal, he added.

Meanwhile, Bargarh DFO Abhay Kumar Dalai also revealed the identity of the carcass recovered from the forest confirming it of Royal Bengal tiger.

However, the revelation by the Forest Secretary and Bargarh DFO contradict to the statement by the Forest & Environment Minister Bijayshree Routray and PCCF (wildlife) chief Sandeep Tripathy, who claimed that the carcass of the animal was of the leopard, not the Royal Bengal tiger.

Sources close to the development said that the forest officials have found a pug and seven moustaches from the accused. The arrested persons have confessed before the forest officials that they had dumped the tiger after poaching on October 28 night.

The Forest department arrested three persons on Saturday in connection with the recovery of the decomposed carcass of a tiger inside the forest in Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary.

Today, one more was arrested for allegedly poaching the tiger.

Worth mentioning, the carcass of the animal was found from the dense forest in Debrigarh on October 29.

The prima facie suggested that the carcass was of the Royal Bengal tiger. It was suspected that the tiger was killed for the purpose of nails and teeth, which were missing from the decomposed body. The head of the tiger was also found detached from the body.

The probe was initiated into the killing of the tiger following which the minister came up with a statement that the carcass was of a leopard.