The Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan government on Tuesday cracked the whip on officials of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) following the death of two adult tigers in the past 10 days.
The state government has removed Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Anand Mohan and Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), MHTR, T Mohan Raj and also suspended assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Rajesh Kumar Sharma on charges of negligence in the discharge of their duties.
Two tigers have died at the tiger reserve in the past 10 days.
Tiger MH-3 had died on July 23 due to a cardiac arrest and tigress MT-2 was found dead on Monday (August 3).
The tigress had delivered two cubs in June, of which one is missing and another is critically ill.
Manoj Parashar and Bijo Joy have been appointed as the new CCF and DCF, MHTR, respectively.
“The accountability of the officials has been fixed and directives have been issued to ensure that the ill cub is treated well,” said Sukhram Vishnoi, state forest minister.
He said the tigers were radio-collared and cameras are installed in the reserve in a bid to ensure effective monitoring of the animals.
{{/usCountry}}He said the tigers were radio-collared and cameras are installed in the reserve in a bid to ensure effective monitoring of the animals.
{{/usCountry}}However, the tigers’ deaths have exposed lapses in the monitoring of the animals.
The carcass of tiger MT-2 (4) was found at Beora Talai in MHTR on Monday morning and its autopsy revealed that a territorial fight led to its death.
Though the MHTR authorities have rescued one of its cubs, another one is still missing.
MT-3 had died in MHTR on July 23 due to multiple-organ failure.
The autopsy revealed that lumps of fat in its lungs and other body parts had caused its death.