Five individuals have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh after a radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned, raising concerns about poaching and wildlife management in the region.
Key Points
- A radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned to death in Madhya Pradesh, India, leading to the arrest of five suspects.
- The tiger, relocated from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, was allegedly poisoned after killing cattle belonging to the accused.
- Wildlife activist alleges administrative and monitoring failures by the forest department in the tiger poisoning case.
- The accused are also allegedly involved in illegal opium cultivation, compounding the severity of the wildlife crime.
- The incident marks the 14th tiger death in Madhya Pradesh since January, raising concerns about tiger conservation efforts.
A radio-collared tiger was allegedly poisoned to death, following which five persons were arrested on Saturday, Madhya Pradesh police said.
The tiger's body was found buried in a pit in West Chhindwara division revenue area on Friday, the official said.
"The tiger was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria in December 2004. It had formed its territory outside the reserve. Five persons have been arrested for poisoning the animal. They have been remanded in judicial custody," STR field director Rakhi Nanda told PTI.
The accused, who laced tiger kill with poison, allegedly took this step as the big cat had killed their cattle, Nanda added.
The accused are also involved in illegal opium cultivation, the official said.
Activist Alleges Negligence
Meanwhile, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey on Saturday lodged a formal complaint in the matter with Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Principal Secretary (Forest), MP, among others.
In his complaint, Dubey alleged that no movement was seen in the radio-collar monitor since March 3, but the forest department ignored the development.
"The tigress was poisoned by poachers and her carcass was found buried in a pit in Sanga Kheda village area under Chhindwara South Forest Division. It is not merely a case of poaching, but a glaring example of administrative and monitoring failure," Dubey said while seeking immediate intervention from higher authorities.
He also sought the removal of STR field director Nanda "for free and fair investigation into the glaring incident".
A total of 14 tigers have died in MP since January this year, he pointed out.
