Tiger poached outside Kawal Tiger Reserve in Asifabad: Investigators

Asifabad has lost a tiger to poachers for the first time in recent history. It is a wake up call for forest officials, a tiger conservation activist said

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Investigations into the poaching of a tiger by six persons has revealed that the tiger was poisoned to death in the forests outside the Kawal Tiger Reserve in the district. The discovery, however, indicated that the tigers in the region face a serious threat of poaching.

Six poachers were arrested by Forest officials on charges of selling the skin of a tiger at Pataguda village in Jiwati Taluq of Maharashtra on April 2. Among the accused, Vikas belonged to Pataguda, while Jyothi Ram Pendram and Chikram Dondiram were residents of Kairiguda in Tiryani mandal. Tirupathi Chikram and Sandeep Korange were from Adimyal of Utnoor mandal while the sixth accused, Isru Madavi, was a native of Netnur in Sirpur (U) mandal.

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“As per preliminary investigations, the poachers admitted that they poisoned the carcass of cattle that was killed by the tiger so that they could kill the tiger. This was done one-and-a half year ago. They confessed to killing the tiger outside the Kawal Tiger Reserve,” District Forest Officer Neeraj Kumar said, adding that the carcass was sent by Maharashtra Forest officials to a forensic lab to establish the age and gender of the tiger.
The tiger reserve’s core measuring 893 square kilometres and 1,120 square kilometre-buffer zone spreads to erstwhile Adilabad district including Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. Ironically, both the core and buffer zones of the reserve have not registered movement of tigers. However, the forests of Kumram Bheem Asifabad that fall outside the reserve often see migration of tigers from Maharashtra.

The forest area located outside the tiger reserve, termed as a corridor, in the district had not recorded poaching of tigers in recent times, but with the arrest of the six poachers, concerns are now being raised over the safety of the wild animals in the forests of the district, especially in the Kaghaznagar forest division, which is considered a breeding zone for tigers.

“The district has lost a tiger to poachers for the first time in recent history. It is a wake up call for forest officials, who should take special measures to protect tigers. Else other tigers settled in the region will also meet a similar fate,” a tiger conservation activist said.

More Information:

* Six arrested poachers confess to killing tiger outside Kawal Tiger Reserve
* They were arrested in Maharashtra while trying to sell tiger skin
* They confess that they poisoned cattle carcass and in turn the tiger
* The poaching activity was done one and a half year ago
* Maharashtra officials have sent carcass for forensic analysis
* Poaching triggers concerns over safety of tigers in Kagazhnagar forests