Wildlife Crime Cell in the offing

To protect the rapidly dwindling tiger population, a Wildlife Crime Cell is to be set up.

The National Board for Wildlife (NBW) will set up a Wildlife Crime Cell (WCC) in Jharkhand in a bid to protect its dwindling tiger population.

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The state's forest officials said the decision to set up the cell was taken at the NBW meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this month.

It will be functional in two months, officials said.

"The primary purpose of the cell will be to provide security and safety to tigers," said U.R. Biswas, Jharkhand's chief wildlife warden.

"Besides, the cell will monitor crime against other wildlife animals. It will also keep a close eye on the felling of trees."

According to him, WCC, whose details will be finalised soon, will sanction authorities to take strict and prompt against offenders.

The cell may consist of forest officials and police personnel, who have the power to prosecute under the Wildlife Protection Act.

The decision comes in the wake of media reports citing disappearing tigers in various reserves in different parts of the country.

Jharkhand's Palamau Tiger Reserve, started with 22 tigers in 1974, saw a rise to 62 tigers in 1984.

But the 2004 census claims that tiger population has now decreased to 38 here.

Even more shocking is the fact that, tourists have of late been spotting only one tigress - causing animal activists to raise serious doubts on the projected statistics.

A number of poaching cases had been registered by the state's forest department in the past years.

While threat of Maoists keeps forest officials away from the reserves, elephant numbers too have been showing a rapid decline in the past years.