Maharashtra loses third tiger in 12 days

Maharashtra, that calls itself the ‘best tiger state’, lost another tiger on Thursday. This is the third tiger death in the past 12 days. On January 6th, a tiger was found dead near in Chandrapur. On January 12th, a problem tigress was shot dead in Sonzari near Navegaon National Park and on January 17th, a putrefied carcass of a young tiger was found in a buffer of Pench tiger reserve.

The tiger found on the 17th January is suspected to have died of electrocution. This is when poachers line the ground with live wires that catch tigers and other animals as they pass. There were also dead cattle in the area that the tiger was found. The tigers carcass lay in the forest for 15 days without anyone spotting it which has provoked fear that forest staff are not protecting the area.

P K Mahajan, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Nagpur division, said, “it is too early to say whether the animal died of poisoning or electrocution. Only a post-mortem, to be conducted on Friday, will reveal the cause. A portion below the tiger’s abdomen was badly decomposed and we could only tell it was a tiger only from the stripes on the skin.”
“When crores of rupees are being spent to save tigers, the casual patrolling and protection from top to bottom seems disgusting. The head of the forest force (HoFF) has not called a meeting on protection of forest and wildlife demanded four months ago,” alleged Siraj Patel, central president of Maharashtra State Forest Guards, Forest Employees.

Mahajan admitted negligence on part of field staff who failed to notice the carcass of the tiger in 15 days.

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Source: Times of India

Photo Credit: Michael Vickers