Forest Officials Try To Downplay Tiger Poaching Issue

NAGPUR: The first official statement on tiger poaching issued by the forest department on July 19, exactly 43 days after two organized poachers Mamru and Chika were arrested, seems to an exercise in washing hands off the poaching problem rather than trying to tackle it head on.

The statement by chief conservator of forests (CCF) for Nagpur Circle SH Patil, which was approved by additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) SS Mishra, comes in the wake TOI’s (Times Of India) expose of call detail report of tiger skin trader from Haryana Sarju Bagdi on July 20. Sarju procured tiger skins right under the nose of forest officials.

Tiger poaching in India

It was TOI which had first exposed the poaching case on June 10, but the department never came clear on the issue. First, it was about sale of five tiger skin, which included one from Tumsar and another from Melghat, bought by Sarju from Aamdi Fata near Ramtek. Even the mystery behind five tiger skins has not been solved yet.

Subsequent interrogation of poachers revealed that Sarju had procured six more tiger skins from Bhandarbodi near Ramtek in the first week of April. The total tiger skins Sarju bought from various gangs was 11.

Patil has clarified that arrested poachers never admitted about the latter six skins in their confession. Instead of probing the serious issue in toto, the forest officials are trying to downplay it.

Investigating officials from Melghat and Nagpur told TOI that the fact of six tiger skins procured in April first week was revealed by poachers when they were quizzed in Melghat on June 9, but the statement was not recorded for reasons best known to forest officials.

The six skins included one tiger each from Katangi in MP and another from Melghat. Four were suspected to be from other places, perhaps from PAs near Nagpur, and hence officials buried the fact.

However, another fact, which the department is hiding, is that is that when Mamru and Chika were arrested by police and forest officials on June 6 night, Chika was in police custody while Mamru was in forest custody at Seminary Hills. “It might quite be possible that Mamru must have told many facts to the officials, also about the six skins here,” feel officials. But why were statements at Seminary Hills not recorded?

Confession statement of Mamru, a copy of which is with TOI, taken on June 17, itself exposes forest department’s failure to nail the poachers and their lack of intelligence. Mamru has admitted that his gang stayed in Bhandarbodi. The CDR of Sarju also reveals he went there on April 3. He had also stayed in Mahadula during that period.

What were they doing in Bhandarbodi? Why did Sarju visit there? Why did forest officials take Chika and Mamru to Bhandarbodi for probe? These are some of the questions that remain unanswered.

Patil has said that Mamru and Chika were nabbed based on the CDR of poachers involved in Dhakna (Melghat) tiger poaching case on March 4. Actually, police nabbed the culprits on June 6. If officials were working on CDR since March 4, what did they do for three months? Why could not they nab Sarju when he was here from March 30 till April 6 and then again after May 26?

Another glaring fact is that Mamru admitted his gang killed Ghatang (Melghat) tiger in second week of May. If forest officials were working on CDR since March, why did they fail to nab the culprits for over 70 days?

The poachers revealed names of 16 gang members involved in tiger poaching here but none of them has been arrested yet. Two poachers Yarlen and Barsul were handed over by the MP officials and others were arrested by Melghat officials.

Instead of criticizing the media, if forest department is really serious about poaching, why the matter is not being handed over to the CBI? Even forest minister Patangrao Kadam has asked the officials to go ahead with CBI probe. Not to mention that notorious tiger poacher Sansarchand is set to be released.

News Link:–http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Forest-officials-try-to-downplay-tiger-poaching-issue/articleshow/21290373.cms?intenttarget=no

Related articles & Petitions & Information

• Three Pardhis From Katni Held In Nagpur For Tiger Poaching (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)
• https://preciousjules1985.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/help-stop-the-killing-and-poaching-of-wild-tigers-in-india/
• http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-killing-of-tigers-and-leopards-in-india
• http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-poaching-tigers
• http://www.thepetitionsite.com/982/645/045/stop-tiger-poaching-in-india/
• http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/safeguarding_the_natural_world/wildlife/tigers/
• More petitions can be found in the Menu – Petitions updated 2013

Three Pardhis From Katni Held In Nagpur For Tiger Poaching

BHOPAL: A section of Pardhis from Madhya Pradesh have yet proved to be the biggest threat to wild life; particularly the big cat population in India. Very recently they are reported to have smuggled half a dozen tiger hides to an international syndicate from their base in Katni district. And all this while wild life officials, busy pitching for lions from Gir in Gujarat to the state, appeared blissfully ignorant.

The poaching racket headquartered at Katni was busted on Sunday with the arrest of three Pardhis by a crime branch team of Maharashtra police from Nagpur. The arrests were made from a village in Nagpur on specific inputs from an organisation working for wildlife.

The accused Chika alias Krishna, Badlu alias Mangru and Shiri – all residents of Katni’s Sagoni village -have confessed to selling five tiger hides so far to a Haryana-based trader. The deal was worth Rs 20 lakh for three tiger hides, said sources.

Poachers Snare

One of the tiger, they said, was poached from Mandla district. However, no tiger hides have been confiscated so far.

Now, the forest officials in four states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – are on the lookout for 30 more Pardhis, from two villages (Sagoni and Billhari) in Katni district. Pardhi families from Katni disappeared from these two villages a day before the trio were arrested, said sources adding that the information got leaked.

Most of the accused on run are close relatives of the 37 Pardhis arrested from Katni for poaching lions from Gir national park in Gujarat in 2007. Teams have been dispatched to different locations tracking cell phones.

According to forest officials, the Maharashtra police had placed several Pardhis of Katni on surveillance besides intercepting their calls while the deal was being made. The arrest was made only after the skins were sold.

The 30-member gang got Rs 35,000 each from the first deal, said sources. They kept on changing their locations from one place to the other while striking the deal. Reportedly, the police could confiscate a few bones from them, which has been sent for forensic examination for identification of the species.

News Link:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Three-Pardhis-from-Katni-held-in-Nagpur-for-tiger-poaching/articleshow/20548682.cms?intenttarget=no

Palasgaon tiger caught in trap is stable but not out of danger

“I found a video on You Tube, don’t know what he is saying but it is about the post below. Just how are these tigers to be protected from humans & their traps? Other than more rangers on the ground & more check points regarding poachers trinkets, I really don’t know the answer! It’s such a great shame, because wild tigers will be extinct in another 20 years if they are not given more protection, to live in the wild.”

NAGPUR: The Palasgaon tiger, which suffered injuries on its left paw and subsequent internal complications after getting entangled in a metal trap laid by poachers, has shown a slight improvement. However, vets treating it admit that it would be a big achievement to save the tiger.

“Although the health parameters show some improvement and condition of the tiger has not deteriorated further, I still feel it is not out of danger,” Dr NP Dakshinkar, the professor & head of department of medicine at the Nagpur Veterinary College, told TOI.

On Thursday, a team of doctors including dean Dr A Samad, Dr Dakshinkar, Dr Gautam Bhojne, and forest officials including A K Saxena, additional PCCF (wildlife), Nagpur, East, ACF Kishore Mishrikotkar and honorary district wildlife warden Kundan Hate checked on the ailing tiger at the Seminary Hills nursery.

It has been under treatment ever since it was brought here on April 28. The poaching incident happened on two days earlier. One tiger died and a third escaped the traps that were cleverly set at a waterhole on the outskirts of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

Dr Dakshinkar said although the tiger has not come out of the acute renal failure, there is definitely some improvement as toxic wastes are passing out. The tiger’s liver functioning is absolutely normal and this possibly resulted in its improved appetite.

“The animal consumed 2.5kg meat on Thursday, which is a good sign. The urea-creatinine levels are still high but show a declining trend,” Dr Dakshinkar said.

Looking into the tiger’s improved condition, the vets have stopped administering IV fluids and as a change of strategy, are resorting to minimum medication. “If the need is felt, the fluids will be administered again,” said Dr Dakshinkar.

The vets are leaving no stone unturned to see that the tiger comes out of bad health. Sources said utmost care is being taken during the treatment. “On Thursday, it took three hours to put a plaster on the injured left paw of the animal,” said sources

News link:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Palasgaon-tiger-stable-but-not-out-of-danger/articleshow/13089388.cms

Tv9 Gujarat – Tigers not safe in Maharashtra, two fall prey to hunters, Chandrapur

 

Published on 29 Apr 2012 by gujarattv9

The national animal is not safe in the nation. Two tigers were hunted in the protected area of forest in Chandrapur. The tigers were found in critical condition. Among them one tiger was dead and the other was stuck in a trap. The forest department officials with great efforts rescued the trapped tiger and sent him to Tadoba Project for treatment. This is not the first time that the tiger were hunted before this as well incidents has occurred of hunting the national animal. Forest Department has started search for these hunters