chennai forest department officials arrested a 45yearold man with the skin of a jackal on wednesday they suspect that the wild animal protected under the wildlife protection act may have been poached though the man claimed that he found it on road after it was hit by a vehicle a team from people for cattle in india pfci visited the narikurava colony at amman nagar in poonamallee on diwali day and found the jackal skin kept for drying by sigamani 45 the team claimed that some people belonging to the nomadic tribe had trapped and slaughtered the animal for its meat nails teeth and skin they seemed to have consumed the meat for diwali after skinning the animal they told us they trapped the animal in a nearby forest they used the animals teeth and nails to make jewellery items the community also believes its good omen to see a baby jackal first thing in the morning said arun of pcfi the ngo team handed over the man and the skin to poonamallee police who in turn him over to forest department officials he told us that the animal was hit by a vehicle he said he found it on the road near his colony said s davidraj forest ranger velachery forest range office however further inquiries were on as forest officials suspect that the animal may have been poached in another case 25yearold s gopi also from narikurava community was arrested for possession of a monkey at his home in redhills officials said the 18monthold animal which is protected under schedule ii of the wildlife act was kept at home for training to be used for performances it is a protected species and one cannot have it as a pet at home the forest officer said