Tigress slain, shooter sobs

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130113/jsp/frontpage/story_16436112.jsp#.UPP9bh03uPA

Nagpur, Jan. 12: A tigress that killed five women in less than a month in Maharashtra was put down this afternoon but the commando who pulled the trigger later cried in a poignant footnote to a mysterious conflict.

“It was such a majestic tigress,” Suresh Atram, a commando of the elite C-60 anti-Naxalite force, said over phone. “I feel like I’ve committed a sin,” added Atram, a tribal.

The forest officials were surprised that it was a full-grown tigress about four years old. Through the week-long hunt, the officials and independent experts had assumed the animal was a sub-adult that probably could not hunt from the way it was selectively killing human beings, all of them frail-looking women.

The experts will now have to try to find answers for the tigress’s weird behaviour.

Its victims were women from villages near the Navegaon reserve forest in Gondia district — one was killed in the protected area — where a tiger has not been spotted in years. The tigress was shot near Sonjhari Malda village, about 25km from the Navegaon forest and 150km from Nagpur.

“I am extremely sad that I had to kill a tiger as part of my duty,” said Atram, who has served for many years in the strife-torn Gadchiroli district but was handpicked for this assignment. He heads the C-60 unit in nearby Bhandara.

An ardent devotee of Sai Baba of Shirdi, Atram said he could not stop himself from crying after killing the animal. “We tried our best to tranquillise it but could not.”

The commando said he had to open fire when the beast came charging at them. “It had come so close that there was no option left,” Atram said. On January 4, after the tigress had killed its fifth victim, orders were issued to shoot it if it could not be captured. Ten teams were then formed to track it down and anti-Naxalite commandos inducted.

“It dodged three to four tranquilliser darts,” wildlife conservationist Sawan Bahekar said over phone. Then the commandos fired three to four bullets, but it escaped unhurt. A shot that the officials said Atram fired from an AK-47 rifle hours later finally brought the tigress down.

Villagers had spotted the tigress on Thursday after it killed a calf and dragged its carcass into the shrubs. This morning, its image was captured in a camera trap mounted near the kill.

The tigress returned to its kill around 9am, Bahekar said. After a four-hour effort, when the tigress charged at a machaan (platform), the commando pulled the trigger.

“She was 20 metres from us,” Bahekar said. The first shot hit the cat. Eight more rounds were fired by two commandos.“Each one of us was in tears,” Bahekar said. It was not something they would be proud of.

Is man-animal conflict on decline?

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-09/nagpur/33118195_1_man-animal-conflict-death-toll-tigers-and-leopards

NAGPUR: Tigers and leopards are always clouded in mystery for raging man-animal conflict. But there is a sudden decline in the raging conflict this year with 39 human deaths as compared to 58 last year in Maharashtra.

Various theories and parameters are being put forward by the forest officials and experts on conflict, but a scientific study has never been done to ascertain the facts. This year's death toll of 39 is on the lower side if last two years' figures are considered.

During April to March 2010-11, 58 persons were mauled to death while 919 were injured by wild animals - mostly tigers and leopards. During the same period in 2011-12, as many as 39 deaths and 635 cases of injuries were reported, a decline by over 30%. Of the 39 victims in 15 forest circles, 8 were in Chandrapur, 7 in Nagpur, 4 in Yavatmal, 3 each in Dhule, Mumbai, Kolhapur and Gadchiroli and 2 each in Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad and Amravati.

Chandrapur district continues to be worst-affected with 8 deaths and 157 injury cases this year. Although the death toll is low compared to 2010-12 when 17 villagers were mauled and 202 injured. Most of the victims were shepherds and fuel-wood collectors who moved deep inside the jungles.

Why there is a sudden decline in the man-animal conflict? Is it because the number of deaths of predators like tigers and leopards increasing or are people learning to coexist with them?

SWH Naqvi, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Maharashtra, says the decline in number of human deaths fluctuates every year. "With the fragmentation of tiger habitats you can't say the trend will remain the same in future," he said.

Secondly, Naqvi said, "The conflict has come down, especially in Chandrapur, due to massive awareness. As the number of tigers has gone up, people have become more cautious. Tigers have also become tolerant with human presence due to shrinking spaces."

Naqvi cited the example of radio-collared Tass tigress which showed how tigers were coexisting with humans.
However, experts like Nitin Desai, Central India director of Wildlife Protection Society of India ( WPSI), says every theory is a wild guess. There can be several parameters to the man-animal conflict theory.

"It may be possible that conflict caused by particular animals at various locations by repeatedly attacking humans might have been eliminated," Desai said. Another possibility, he says, may be increase in prey species due to which tigers turning towards cattle must have gone down.

"You also cannot rule out awareness as one of the reasons. People have been taking extra care due to large number of attacks by tigers and leopards. However, it is a debatable issue and a scientific study needs to be done," Desai said.

The forest department needs to conduct a study as number of cattle kill cases has gone down from 5,822 in 2010-11 to 4,173 in 2011-12.

On the contrary, Prafulla Bhamburkar, manager, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), says, "Conflict has gone down as problem animals have been eliminated. There were over a dozen tiger deaths during the same period. Many leopards also died due to poaching, mishaps and poisoning. I don't think awareness will stop villagers from entering the forests for fuel-wood and minor forest produce (MFP) collection."

Village in Rajasthan relocated to protect tigers

 New Delhi: Around 82 families in a village in Rajasthan, have been moved to a new location in a bid to increase the dwindling tiger population, officials say.

The village of Umri in the Sariska tiger reserve, is the second village to be relocated to provide a secure habitat for the tigers. The families have been compensated with either a payment of Rs 10 lakh or a combination of land, cash and livestock.

The tiger population in India has declined with just 1,700 of the majestic animal in the wild. “The process took place with the cooperation of the families,” said an official. “We expect to relocate all families in different villages inside the reserve by 2013.” 

http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/village-in-rajasthan-relocated-to-protect-tigers_758660.html 

‘Jaw traps’ suspected for tiger death in Bandipur

An incident of Forest officials allegedly hushing up the death of a tiger caught in a ‘jaw trap’ has come to light in the limits of Bandipur National Park.

A 10-year-old male tiger was found dead in the Kalkere range of the Park on December 30 and the official version was that the animal died of hunger. One more tiger was found dead at the same spot on December 31 after being caught in a ‘jaw trap.’ 

It is said senior officers visited the spot clandestinely and buried the caracass. They are also said to have taken  photographs of the dead animal and the ‘jaw trap.’

According to the guidelines framed by National Tiger Conservation Authority, post mortem on tigers should be conducted in the presence of two representatives of non-governmental organisations. Accordingly, two representatives were present during the post mortem on the tiger which died of hunger. However, sources in the Forest department say that the officials have maintained secrecy on the ‘jaw trap’ death of the tiger. 

There had been no reports of ‘jaw trap’ deaths in the State for the past three years. The practice of hunting animals using this type of trap is more prevalent in North India and the tribals of Madhya Pradesh are said to be experts.

The first such case came to light in South India at Nagarahole National Park in 2002. Two hunters were arrested in Veeranahosahalli, Nagarahole in 2008 for using the trap. It is said the forest officials are attempting to suppress the recent incident to escape laxity charges. A wildlife expert, who wished to be unnamed, said true facts would come to light if a CID investigation is ordered into the death of tigers. 

Dr K T Hanumanthappa, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bandipur, told Deccan Herald that a tiger died of oral lesions in Kalkere range and that the caracass was burnt after a post mortem. He denied any ‘jaw trap’ deaths of tiger in the Range.

What is a jaw trap?

A common foothold trap is made of two jaws, a trigger in the middle and one or two springs. A round pan usually acts as a trigger. The traps, usually laid on the tracks frequented by animals, are anchored to the earth with the help of strong chains and are camouflaged with dry leaves. 

As soon as the animal steps on the trigger, the trap closes around the foot clamping down its limb or paw. As the animal struggles to free itself writhing in pain, the steel vise cuts into its flesh, some times down to the bone. 

The trapped animals are sometimes gunned down by hunters, while in some cases they die of pain and hunger.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/216038/jaw-traps-suspected-tiger-death.html

Indian ministers and their families take part in JK Tyre – Constitution Club of India Car Rally to save Tiger

Along with their families, 70 Indian Ministers of Parliament took part in a car rally today with the aim to spread awareness for saving national animal of India, the Tiger. The car rally to save Tigers in India is being organized under the Constitutional Club of India (CCI), a club formed in 1947 for members of the Indian Constituent Assembly.

The motto of this car rally by Indian ministers is 'Save Our Tigers.' Tiger population in India is depleting at a very quick rate. If immediate measures are not undertaken by the Government, it is quite possible that the Tiger will become extinct in India by the next decade. JK Tyre and CCI have joined hands once again for a noble cause. Last year too a similar event was organized by CCI and JK Tyre & Industries Ltd. The 70 odd ministers who participated in today's car rally are eminent diplomats and parliamentarians of India.

Mr Pratap Rudy, MP and BJP leader, said, "This is an opportunity of Indian parliament to express the solidarity and be agent to spread awareness across the country for the national animal-tiger. This time we have chosen a different topic of awareness which is ''save our tigers''. It''s a national cause. We hardly have, post independence we have lost, which were about 40 thousands we have now 1400 tigers left. It's a cause at the end of the year, beyond politics, beyond parties, where diplomats and media are participating and I think it's a fun event, but at the same time a cause is there and this cause is worthy if participation and enormous participation from members of Parliament."

JK Tyre and CCI Car Rally to save Tigers will see Indian ministers competing in a TSD Rally (Time, Speed, Distance). The event was kicked off earlier today from Hotel Taj Palace, New Delhi. Mr Hamid Ansari, Vice President, India flagged off the event. After travelling through various parts of the city spreading Save Our Tigers awareness, the winner of the car rally will be felicitated by Mr Jayanthi Natrajan, Minister of State for Forest and Environment, India.

Mr Naveen Jindal, MP, Congress, said, "Tiger is our national animal and we all know that tigers have been, the population has been reducing. In the last couple of decades with all the efforts, which the government has been taking, now the population has stabilized and it''s on the rise again. So, we all need to continue to make efforts to save the tigers."

Forest guard killed tigress for ‘sexual power’

http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/forest-guard-killed-tigress-for-sexual-power_745412.html

Raipur: India’s tigers appear to be fighting a losing battle. In a shocker from Chhattisgarh, the probe into the killing of a tigress in Bhoramdeo sanctuary has ended at the doorstep of someone who was supposed to save her, a forest guard. 

As per reports, Monday, 48-year-old Veer Singh, who was employed as a forest guard in the sanctuary in Kawardha district killed the full grown tigress to extricate certain body parts which he believes would have helped him increase his sexual power. 

The carcass of the tigress, aged roughly five-six years, was found on November 15 with its claws and other body parts missing in Kawardha district. Initially it was suspected to be the handiwork of poachers. A probe panel under Chief Conservator of Forests Pratap Singh was constituted. 

The probe panel was intrigued by the patrolling unit of forest official’ failure to detect poachers, or even the tiger killing for four days; however, on detailed investigation found Veer Singh guilty of the crime. Incidentally, it was Veer Singh who had announced the discovery of tigress’ carcass. 

As per reports, Singh, who also operates as a dealer of herbs and medicinal plants found in the forest, has confessed to the crime and said that he poisoned the carcass of an animal killed by the tigress to kill her. 

Later he along with two others used sharp weapons to cut off valuable body parts of the royal animal. They extricated claws, moustache. They also made a deep incision, resembling a bullet wound in the stomach to extract what is termed as a lucky bone (which brings luck), but could not remove it. 

Clearly, much more needs to be done to protect the tigers in the state. In September, a mob of villagers in state's Rajnandgaon district had lynched a Royal Bengal tigress in the presence of forest officials. 

Even though the number of tigers in the country has increased from 1,411 (2006) to 1,706 (2010) in the last four years, India is losing five tigers a month with the death toll in the wild already crossing the half century mark this year.