Four poachers arrested for killing tigress in Mulugu
Mulugu: A tigress that made the forest areas of erstwhile Warangal district as its habitat for more than a year ago, was allegedly killed by the poachers. Police have arrested four poachers in connection with the big cat’s killing. The arrested have been identified as Madakam Naresh (25), Madavi Erumaiah (24), Madakam Mukesh (42) and […]
Mulugu: A tigress that made the forest areas of erstwhile Warangal district as its habitat for more than a year ago, was allegedly killed by the poachers. Police have arrested four poachers in connection with the big cat’s killing.
The arrested have been identified as Madakam Naresh (25), Madavi Erumaiah (24), Madakam Mukesh (42) and Madavi Deva (23) of Kodishala Gothi Koya Gumpu (settlement) of Tadvai mandal in Mulugu district. Five other accused identified as Madakam Naresh, Madavi Idumaiah, Madakam Mukesh, Madavi Deva and Madavi Gangaiah were absconding.
The police have seized a tigress skin, skeletal remains including legs except for hind leg, and nails besides the snare used to trap the big cat from the accused. However, it is said that it is yet to be confirmed whether it is a male or female animal scientifically.
During a joint press meet conducted by the police and forest officials at Mulugu SP’s office on Sunday, the authorities said that SS Tadvai SI had received a piece of credible information on Saturday that some persons from Kodishala and nearby Gothi Koya habitations were going to Chattisgarh for selling suspected tiger skin and nails.
Informing the matter to the senior officers and forest officials, SI Tadvai with forest staff had started conducting vehicle checking and nakabandis on all the roads leading to Chattisgarh. “On Sunday, one white colour Indica car bearing No.CG 17 C 0535 with four people was intercepted on their suspicious behaviour. The vehicle was checked wherein one nail of the tiger was found as ascertained by forest officials. On questioning the persons with the help of local ‘panches’ (Panchulu) and forest officials, the accused said that they trapped a tiger in the snare,” SP Sangram Singh Ganpat Rao Patil said and added that the accused had laid traps in the forest at strategic locations since they came to know about the movement of the tiger for the last one year.
It is said that Madakam Mukesh had found that a tiger died in the trap laid by them on September 21, and informed his friends. Following this, they along with one Madavi Gangaiah alias Ganga had reached the spot and removed the skin and nails carefully leaving the carcass there.
“The body parts including the skin were divided among themselves and kept in various places at their respective homes of the accused as they had plans to go to Chattisgarh to sell them,” the SP said, adding that the police, however, had nabbed them.
“On questioning, the accused have confessed to the crime and showed in the habitation and forest area where they had secretly kept the body parts of the big cat. The remains of scheduled one animal were also certified by expert veterinary doctor and FDO Tadvai,” the SP added.
According to the forest officials, pug marks of a tiger, believed to have come from Chattisgarh State, were spotted on August 1 this year in Tadvai Forest area by the forest officials while patrolling the area. It had roamed the forest areas of Mulugu, Mahabubabad, Badradri Kothagudem and Warangal districts.
“Coordination mechanisms were set in place between these four districts and active patrolling of forest areas is strengthened. Base camp watchers, animal trackers along forest staff were deployed in tracking and camera traps were installed and movement of a tiger is monitored,” said Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Warangal Circle, SJ Asha.
“A case has been booked against all the offenders under the Wildlife Act, 1972, and further investigation is in progress,” she added. ASP Potharaju Sai Chaitanya, Mulugu DFO, Shiv Asish, Tadvai FDO Prashanth Patil, Mulugu N Jogender, veterinarian Dr Ch Praveen Kumar, Pasra CI Shankar, Tadvai SO Venkateshwarlu and others were present.
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