Civilian or forester? Tiger whodunnit Our special correspondent - The telegraph 5th jan 2015 Bangalore, Jan. 4: Days after a suspected maneater was shot dead, Karnatakas wildlife department is grappling with the question: who pulled the trigger? While an over-enthusiastic MLA, Arvind Patil, claimed it was a civilian who shot and killed the tiger at Khanapur in Belgaum district, the forest department has made a counter-claim. I dont have any doubt that it was a local man named Tanaaji Patil who killed the animal, boasted the MLA who represents Khanapur. Virtually taking credit for the kill, the MLA posed for a picture with the carcass of the animal that was felled by a shot to its head near its lair in Bhimgad reserve forest on the evening of December 28. Wildlife activists are now seeking an answer from the authorities if they allowed a civilian to unlawfully kill one of the most protected animals. While the forest authorities in Bangalore are still waiting for the post-mortem analysis and the final report on the operation, Ambadi Madhav, Belgaum divisional conservator of forests, yesterday told The Telegraph it was the departments shooter who killed the big cat. The male tiger, aged nearly three years, was originally captured in November from Chikmagalur where it allegedly killed a 26-year-old woman who worked at a tea plantation. But wildlife authorities had then thought the tiger might not be a man-eater as the kill looked like an accident. A man-eater is either an aged or injured tiger that kills humans because it is unable to catch quick-footed preys. This animal didnt fit either description. But the tiger was back in the news when a 23-year-old pregnant village woman was mauled to death in December near Bhimgad, Khanapur. The tiger had been relocated to the Bhimgad wildlife reserve from Chikmagalur after being radio-collared to track its movements. The killing of the second woman triggered panic among the villagers, who staged massive protests demanding that the tiger be killed. Ajai Mishra, principal chief conservator of forests, told this newspaper that all necessary steps were taken before shooting the tiger and that there was no foul play. He did not specify if it was one of the anti-Naxalite forces that accompanied the hunting team who gunned down the tiger. It was our person who killed the tiger and not any civilian, was all he said, adding he was present at the spot. We are waiting for the report from the Belgaum division (on shooting down the tiger), but all procedures were followed, Mishra said. We had first translocated the tiger (to Bhimgad) after giving it the benefit of doubt since the Chikmagalur killing looked like an accident as the tiger may have mistaken the woman for some prey. But the decision to shoot it down was taken as a last option, he said. The district authorities, including the police, were kept in the loop, he added. On the MLAs claims that it was a civilian who shot the tiger, Madhav said: Ive spoken to him (the MLA) and clarified the issue. But the wildlife community is agitated at the manner in which the situation unfolded. Why couldnt they dart it, capture it and relocate it to some rescue centre, asked a tiger expert who did not want to be named because he was associated with the forest department on a project. There are instances when a tiger can be shot. But lets first have it on paper from the forest officials on how they went about the whole operation and evidence on who shot the tiger. Another expert, formerly on the National Board for Wildlife, said the state authorities have a lot of answering to do and described the killing an amateurish blunder. I think the forest department need to produce a white paper, including a post-mortem report, as soon as possible to clear the doubts if they had actually let an unauthorised civilian kill a tiger, he said. In the larger interest of animal protection, it is pertinent that the authorities produce all relevant support data like camera traps of its movement and the tracking sourced from the radio-collar to establish they had actually killed the right tiger, he said. MLA Arvind Patil poses with the tiger carcass
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 15:24:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015