Tiger Protection Force to be deployed in forests to conserve tigers in Telangana

Tigers are facing the threat from poachers of not only Telangana, but neighbouring Maharashtra as well. They are also losing their lives after accidentally touching electrified fences set up by hunters for killing wild animals near forest streams.

Adilabad: The Forest department is planning to constitute a Tiger Protection Force (TPF) to protect tigers in the Amrabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves.

Tigers belonging to Maharashtra migrate to Kawal in search of territory and prey. However, some of them end up being poached here. The tigers are facing the threat from poachers of not only Telangana, but neighbouring Maharashtra as well. They are also losing their lives after accidentally touching electrified fences set up by hunters for killing wild animals near forest streams.

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As per information provided by officials of the Kawal Tiger Reserve, over 10 tigers have gone missing from the forests of erstwhile Adilabad district since 2013. Three of them were cubs of the famous Phalguna in Kagaznagar forests. Four of these missing tigers were poached. The whereabouts of the remaining tigers were not yet known.

On January 6 and 8 in 2023, decomposed carcasses of two tigers were found in the forests of Dharigaon village in Kagaznagar mandal. Three persons from Rangapet village in Bellampalli were arrested for allegedly poaching a tiger five years back and trying to dispose of its nails the same year, reflecting the vulnerability of lives of the tigers.

Officials said that proposals were submitted seeking approval of the government for creating the tiger protection force with an aim to ensure protection of tigers and to check poaching of wild animals in the reserve. They opined that formation of the force would play a vital role in conservation of the tigers and other wild animals as well.

“The force consists typically of not only forest officials, but local youngsters from forest fringe villages. Involvement of locals in conservation and monitoring of tigers is being effective in Maharashtra and other States. Drawing inspiration from their success, the Telangana Forest department has devised the tiger protection force,” an official said.

The core of Kawal Tiger Reserve, the 12th largest reserve of the country spans 893.33 square kilometres, while the 1,120 square kilometres buffer zone spreads to erstwhile Adilabad district including Kumram Bheem Asifabad district. The core and buffer of the reserve continue to see migration of tigers from Maharashtra at regular intervals. However, the reserve fails to see growth of families of the tigers who tend to stay here for a brief period.