Shimla, Nov 6 - A man has been arrested in Himachal Pradesh for allegedly possessing two leopard skins, one of a fully grown animal, police said Friday.

"A poacher was arrested near the Renuka wildlife sanctuary Thursday for carrying skins of two leopards," police officer Narain Singh Thakur told IANS. Renuka sanctuary is 165 km from state capital Shimla and just 35 km from Nahan town in Sirmaur district.

Thakur said one of the skins was 8.4 feet long and the other was 2.7 feet long. The leopard is a protected animal and possession of its skin is illegal.

A case under relevant sections of the Wildlife Preservation Act has been registered at the Renuka police station against the arrested man, identified only as Rajan.

Another poacher called Ramanand was arrested from Renuka area and a leopard skin was seized from his possession too Wednesday, Thakur had said.