Telangana – Turning into a killing field for Tigers and other Wildlife

[Subhash Shrivastava]

I am speechless at the speed things are moving from worse to catastrophe. Please read following news and decide for yourselves. You may suggest to me any feasible step or wider action that I can be part of to try to somehow slow down some of these blatant crimes against nature,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...le16756073.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...le16780290.ece

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifes...-wildlife.html

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c.../55933201.cms?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/55553097.cms

[Subhash Shrivastava]

Almost all the tigers that are migrating from Maharashtra to Telangana (to Kawal Tiger Reserve) are being poached within months. In year 2014, Telangana forest department announced that a male and a female tigers had become resident in Kawal Tiger reserve, a lot of fanfare followed for about a year but then since Feb, 2016 these is no news or trace of the tiger couple. Some news reports indicated that they might have been poached.

Taking all into account, there are news reports of killing or poaching of 5 tigers since 2014, the actual count may be upwards of 10 tigers poached in last 2 years. This means, there is no chance of any tiger to survive that moves from Maharashtra to Telangana.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) needs look into the high mortality of tigers moving into Kawal Tiger Reserve, which is posing a grave threat to the sustainability of tiger population in the adjoining Forest Reserves of Maharashtra (specially Tadoba & Tipeshwar) .

Following are the specific cases of killing of Tigers in north Telangana that are reported in last 4 weeks.

Ø Tiger cub found dead at Bodagutta, a hill near Tamsi in Adilabad district of Telangana on 11th Dec, 2016
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/t.../1/832286.html

Ø Carcass of three-year-old tiger found on 03rd Dec 16 at Pinnaram in Kotapally mandal in Mancherial district
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...le16756073.ece

Ø Tiger skin seized on 22nd Nov, 2016, in Bejjur, Asifabad district, near Sirpur-Kaghaznagar
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/55553097.cms

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Stunned to hear that the newest state in India has become the new killing fields. The actions by Telengana is absurd. There seems to be no consideration for saving our wilderness and wildlife. Creation of a new state results in some questionable decision making. However, the bureaucracy remains the same and the politicians are also the same. This is not a good sign for wildlife and environment. All of us have to raise our voice against this dangerous path that Telengana is traversing.