Chanda loses 28 tigers in two years

Chanda loses 28 tigers in two years
Mazhar Ali, TNN, Dec 8, 2010, 09.52pm IST

CHANDRAPUR: While Chandrapur boasts of being the tiger capital of Central India, little is talked about the loss of 28 tigers from the jungles here in a span of last two years.

While 21 tigers have been either poached, killed in accidents, died natural death or have 'disappeared', seven have been moved from the wild and put into zoos after being rescued since November 2008. The death of two tigers within the span of a week has again raised a question mark over the measures implemented for protection and conservation of tigers in the district.

In November 2008, two cubs were rescued from the forests of Mendki under South Bramhapuri forest range. Their mother had gone missing and was never traced. One of these cubs died during treatment. Year 2009 witnessed deaths, disappearance and poaching of 15 tigers in the district. On January 23, 2009, three cubs from FDCM Junona range were rescued after their mother went missing. On February 21, wildlife activist found tiger bones near Devada village in TATR. Later, a raid was carried out on the residence of one Ragho Kulmethe in Devada on the basis of intelligence given by NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and tiger bones were recovered. The DNA testing of bones recovered from Kulmethe and those recovered from the jungle near Devada did not match, suggesting death of two different tigers. Later, on February 26, another tiger from Bhanuskhindi area in TATR was found dead. On March 18, foresters seized 10 tiger nails from poachers near Bhadrawati and investigations revealed that it was poached at the boundary of TATR in the winter of 2008.

Between March 24 and 28, 2009, three tiger cubs were found dead near Adyalmendha under Balapur FDCM. However, official figures say only two cubs had died. Their mother had disappeared and was never traced. On April 6, a tiger cub was found dead near Chiroli village in Mul range. It had died after being allegedly hit by a vehicle. On May 13, the carcass of a tiger was found near Ubha Gota water tank in Palasgaon range. On August 1, a tiger drowned in a well while chasing prey. Between September 17 and 23, three tiger cubs were rescued from the jungles of Dhaba range, after their mother disappeared. On November 5, 2009, CBI sleuths arrested five persons with two tiger skins and 90kg of tiger bones from a train in Nagpur. Subsequent investigations revealed that they had boarded from Ballarpur railway station near here with the skins and bones, and the tigers was poached in jungles of Chandrapur. Also in November 2009, Chandrapur police, again on the basis of intelligence given by WPSI, arrested hard-core tiger poachers involved in this poaching.

On April 2010, a tiger was found dead near Navargaon in Palasgaon range. On May 10, Chimur forest officials arrested an accused with tiger nails and subsequent investigations revealed that it was tigress poached in Hirdi nullah in TATR in June 2009. Its three cubs, which went missing, were never traced.

Later, ailing tigress 'Jharina' of TATR died during treatment on August 18. On November 28, a carcass of a tiger killed in territorial fight was recovered in FDCM Junona range. A semi-adult tiger died in a fight with another tiger was recovered on December 6 in Moharli (territorial) forest range.

Despite rigorous implementation of measures to mitigate man-animal conflict, forest officers seem to have failed to curb the loss of tigers. Failure of relocation of villages located within TATR too has put tremendous poaching pressure in the protected areas.

Central India Director, WPSI, Nitin Desai, said, "These are the reported cases on record. What about the unreported cases of poaching by poaching gangs? The gangs of Baheliya and Bawariyas have been seen till last May in Chandrapur district." He stressed upon strong intelligence-based enforcement in rural areas to control the poaching of tiger and other animals. "Considering the phenomenal pressure of poaching in tiger habitats, only strong intelligence based enforcement at ground level could help in controlling the wildlife related crimes. However, so far forest department had done no monetary provision for raising of intelligence network of its own," said Desai.

Article at- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...#ixzz18Ap1v6Uc