Captured Tigress from Kabini - Dead in Bhadra :(
All.
Its shocking and sad to know the healthy tigress captured in Kabini last week was found dead after it was released in Bhadra near lakavalli side.
Few questions bother me:
1. The Tiger was tranquilised. Was the dosage correct?
2.a. Why was the tiger in the cage for almost three days after tranquilising? Who was calling the shots?
2.b. I understand that some scientist wanted to radio collar the tiger and were waiting for the radio collar to arrive from pune or mumbai while precious time was running out. The tiger was however released without the radio collar since it was getting more fatigued.
3. Why was there a big confusion about (the location) where to release the tiger?
4. Why was the tiger not released in nagarhole that has high prey density? Bhadra has poor prey density. Who forced the choice of location as Bhadra?
Again i am told that some scientist and some wildlife NGOs forced the forest department to choose Bhadra instead of nearby Nagarhole/Bandipur.
5. Why did the Chief Wildlife Warden not accompany the tiger and oversee the whole process? What other work for him can be more important than managing this operation?
6. Will the government fix accountability and make all those who were involved responsible for this unfortunate incident and punish them? Why did the forest department allow outsiders to decide the whole strategy? Don't they have any capable talent at all?
7. Will all these guys get away scott free? After all we have a rich history of tigers dying after being tranquilised (in the past) and will this incident also be counted as one sequel and forgotten?
We have to now save our tigers not only from the poachers but from forest department officials and also from all the other outsiders associated with this operation.
God Save the Tiger.
Another Tiger found dead in N.Begur (Bandipur)
Thanks for writing Mrudul.
It looks like everyone else can kill the Tiger except poachers as long as they are scientists, NGOs or Forest Department without the fear of persecution.
The sudden silence (after the Tigress's death) from all those who were involved in this operation irks me. Imagine if the same tiger had been killed by a passing truck or by a poacher, the same people would have made noise in Delhi, shot off telegrams to the PM and also run to various courts. This incident has no funding value any way!!
Who said the tigers are safe by closing highways? We should protect the tigers from our very own protectors.
As I write this, today's newspaper says one more tiger found dead in Bandipur side (which is actually across the river) where they captured the tigress in Kabini. We still do not know the reason for its death and we sincerely hope that the truth will come out after today's post mortem.