Now Reading: One tiger poached, another died naturally in Andhra, panel finds
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One tiger poached, another died naturally in Andhra, panel finds
A high-level committee appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government has concluded that a tiger found dead in the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve on July 31 was poached, while another tiger that died…
The Story in Brief
A high-level committee appointed by the Andhra Pradesh government has concluded that a tiger found dead in the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve on July 31 was poached, while another tiger that died on July 29 succumbed to natural causes. The panel, led by retired IFS officer P. Mallikharjuna Rao, said seven men used a country-made firearm to shoot the adult male tiger aged 4-6 years, then removed its four legs to extract claws and hid the carcass 2 km away.
Officials recovered seven of the tiger's 18 claws from the accused, who have been arrested and remanded. The post-mortem showed a bullet injury between the abdomen and chest. The accused had entered the forest to hunt wild boars when they encountered the tiger. The committee warned of strict action against anyone violating forest protection laws, and investigations continue.
The Indian Opinion
The Andhra panel’s clear finding that one of two tiger deaths was poaching is a rare moment of candour. Lazy narratives of a full-blown crisis or, conversely, blanket official denial have both been disproved. The recovery of only seven of 18 claws suggests either the poachers disposed of the rest or the forest department’s search was less than thorough. The test now will be how swiftly and transparently the trial of the seven accused proceeds, and whether anyone senior in the forest chain faces accountability for the gaps in patrolling that allowed a country-made gun to fire inside a tiger reserve.
Source: thehindu.com
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