This article from rediff.com/tigers

May 17, 2005 16:47 IST

In a startling disclosure, the Union government has informed the Supreme Court that as many as 411 tigers vanished from the forests across India between 1999 and 2003, at least 352 of them killed by poachers.

"An independent agency was commissioned to compile and analyse the available country-level tiger poaching data over a period of five years. The data collected records 411 cases during the five years out of which 173 records relate to mortality and 238 records relate to seizures," an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests before the court said.

The affidavit was filed in response to environmentalist Ashok Kumar's application seeking extension of the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the Sariska Tiger Reserve to other Project Tiger locations.

The affidavit said poachers were most active in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, accounting for 24 and 23 tiger deaths respectively in the last five years. Thirteen tigers were killed in Madhya Pradesh during the period.

Interestingly, despite the CBI reporting that not a single tiger was left in Sariska Tiger Reserve, the ministry said only two tigers were killed by poachers here in the five year period.

Only 59 tigers died a natural death in the five-year period and only the states of Madhya Pradesh (15), Uttar Pradesh (12) and Uttaranchal (10) reported double-digit mortality figures.

From the 238 seizures of tiger skins and 219 of body parts, Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 57 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh (44), West Bengal (39), Maharashtra (19), Uttaranchal (15) and Andhra Pradesh (11), the ministry said.

"The international border of India with Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar is relatively porous which facilitates illegal transfer of contraband, including wildlife items across these borders," the affidavit said.

The Steering Committee of Project Tiger in its meeting on April 12 this year listed the Tiger reserves in Uttaranchal (Corbett and Rajaji National Park), Uttar Pradesh (Dudhwa), Madhya Pradesh (Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and
Panna), Maharashtra (Tadoba, Pench and Melghat), West Bengal (Sunderbans), Assam (Kaziranga), Tamil Nadu (Mudumalai), Karnataka (Bandipur and Nagarhole) and Rajasthan (Ranthambore) and said they deserve special attention for control of poaching of tigers

Lynx,

The sad fact is that even these figures may be BS as far as the Forest Department is concerned. Reports are coming in that Panna has less than 10 tigers while the babus claim that it has 34.

quote:

Originally posted by Lynx:
From the 238 seizures of tiger skins and 219 of body parts, Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 57 cases followed by Uttar Pradesh (44), West Bengal (39), Maharashtra (19), Uttaranchal (15) and Andhra Pradesh (11), the ministry said.

If they only seized 238 skins, then the poachers killed a helluva lot more than 411 tigers. I'd be surprised that the authorities catch anything close to 10% of the overall haul.

However, this makes one wonder just how many tigers there are?? If they seized 238 from the poachers, and they certainly don't catch anywhere near the total number of poachers (poaching, like drug smuggling, requiring low odds of getting caught along with high returns to make it worthwhile), then does that suggest that the tiger population is significantly higher than reported?

Just wondering...

Fischer,

What this means is that the problem is much worse than the b@#%&*#s in the government have admitted. More bad news

It is a sad fact that the tiger is slowly becoming extinct in the wild in India. Now if only the clowns would declare open season on poachers!

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Now if only the clowns would declare open season on poachers!

I don't know if I mentioned this to you but I have been told that within a 10 kilometer radius of the Coorg biosphere no guns are permitted and the forest rangers have orders to shoot to kill.

Apparently, two coffee plantation owners who were caught skining a Cheetal (Axis axis) within their premises were shot dead by the rangers. I am not sure if this is true but the person who told me this (a Coorgie and I think you can guess who) assures me he isn't pulling my leg as is his habit.

Rustam

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Apparently, two coffee plantation owners who were caught skining a Cheetal (Axis axis) within their premises were shot dead by the rangers.

This would have made news. Did you come across anything in the media?


The good news is the PM is setting up a Wildlife Crime Bureau, just hope they are effective....

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Originally posted by Lynx:This would have made news.

That's the first thing I asked him (B). According to him the Coorgies knew these two planters to be incorrigible poachers and kept it quiet. They do take their wildlife seriously.

To pre-empt your next supposition, Sherlock ....no, it is not easy for the rangers to plant evidence on a suspect to get rid of him. According to B, the community would string the rangers up if they suspected any foul play.

Rustam

Thw wildlife crime bureau is a good thing but I hope that the government also looks seriously at a long term hunting and conservation proposal of the type you guys have been suggesting. Unless they learn to recognise wildlife as a valuable economic resource there is not going to be any incentive to protect it.

Keep up the fantastic work and good hunting!

Shoot the poachers