Sanctioned trophy hunting by another name a grey area in man-animal conflict
The latest case came from Uttarakhand on Dec 11, when the forest department caught a tiger in Naukuchiatal area near Bhimtal on suspicion that it killed a woman
The steady shrinkage of natural habitats and the resultant rise in man-animal conflict have led to increasing incidents of big cats being labelled “man-eaters” and caught or shot down in authorised kills by hobby hunters deployed by authorities, triggering a wider debate on the ethical as well as environmental dimensions of the practice.
The guidelines say that when an animal has been declared a man-eater, only experienced and senior forest officers should be authorised to kill it. (HT File)
The latest case came from Uttarakhand on December 11, when the state forest department caught a tiger in the Naukuchiatal area near Bhimtal on suspicion that it
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.
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