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Leopard poaching in Rajaji prompts tiger apex body rethink on relocation of big cats
NTCA, the apex body on issues related to tigers, is likely to seek details about the poaching incident from state authorities.
Leopard poaching at Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand has raised security worries, prompting the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to take a call on translocation of big cats to the reserve, said officials associated with the project.
NTCA, the apex body on issues related to tigers, is likely to seek details about the poaching incident from state authorities. The member secretary of NTCA will hold a meeting this week to discuss the future course of action on the translocation project.
“I returned from a travel today and will be discussing the issues at Rajaji with the officers here. Tiger protection is our primary concern and we won’t allow threats to the species,” said NTCA member secretary Anup Kumar Nayak, who joined on March 18.
The leopard poaching incident was reported on March 22 from Motichur range – the core area of the reserve where tiger translocation was planned. The initial plan is to bring three tigers (one male and two female) from the Corbett landscape to the western part of the Rajaji reserve that has two tigresses and has not reported breeding, officials said.
The eastern part has 32 tigers. Both the parts are divided by a narrow busy corridor that blocks movement of tigers.
NTCA and the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) had given nod to the project, which is technically supervised by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII). But the project faces uncertainty after the poaching incident punched holes in protection strategies.
Experts are also concerned over the threats to wild animals inside the reserve that spreads across 1075 sq km area.
“We need to strengthen tiger protection so that translocated tigers should not become susceptible to poaching,” WII director VB Mathur said. “All tiger-populated areas should be carefully guarded from wildlife criminals.”
Two people surrendered before a Dehradun court in the poaching case on May 2. The reserve management had earlier nabbed a man who worked as an informer for officials. Forest officials are looking for two more accused in connection with the incident.
“One was arrested, two surrendered and two others are absconding. We will ask for remand of those who surrendered; they belong to the kanjar basti in Haripurkala, close to the spot from where leopard parts were recovered,” Rajaji director Sanatan Sonkar said.
Head of forest force (HoFF) Jai Raj has made whistleblower IFS officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi in-charge of the probe into the poaching incident. Officials close to the probe said the Rajaji director is likely to move the Uttarakhand High Court at Nainital, seeking quashing of HoFF’s order.
The chief wildlife warden (CWW) had earlier demanded a SIT probe into the poaching.
Rajaji is the 48th reserve notified in 2015. There are 50 reserves in the country.
