Patna, July 13:Twelve deer horns were seized Sunday from near a national park in Bihar's Bagaha district by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel.
A team of SSB officials recovered twelve deer horns near the Valmiki National Park in Bagaha district, official sources in the district administration said.
"The market value of the recovered deer horns is estimated at over Rs.1 million," sources said.
The national park, which is Bihar's only tiger project, is over 250 km from here.
Deer are protected under wildlife Act of 1972. Storing or dealing in its horns, hides, bone and meat is strictly banned in the country.
The SSB officials will hand over the recovered deer horns to the forest department.
In the past it was reported that some poachers were active in smuggling of deer horns from the park.
Trade in wildlife products is banned in India. But skins and bones of animals, which are believed to have medicinal values, are in great demand in the international market, particularly in China and Thailand.
The number of tigers in the Valmiki National Park has been decreasing at an alarming rate, according to the latest report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
According to the CAG report, there were 56 tigers in the park in 2002 and the number came down to 33 by 2005.
(IANS)
