The Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) on Tuesday issued shoot-at-sight orders against poachers. But the orders were to be carried out only for “self-protection against poachers carrying arms,” CTR director Parag Madhukar Dhakate said.
A five-day anti-poaching operation was initiated on Tuesday following information about suspected movement of poachers.
According to the tiger census data released in 2015, Uttarakhand, with 340 tigers, has the second highest tiger population in the country after Karnataka. According to wildlife experts, the tiger population has gone up in the past two years.
“We received some inputs from the intelligence agencies following which we began an anti-poaching operation. We have sealed the entry points on the northern and southern borders. Forest workers have been ordered to instantly shoot any poacher or hunter seen with arms in the core critical tiger habitat zone,” Mr. Dhakate said.
Such orders were given by the State Chief Secretary in the past too for the protection of forest department workers.
Sharp shooters have been placed at vantage points and 388 camera traps set up across the reserve. Two drones, night vision equipment and 150 forest department workers would be used in the operation, he said.
According to the data provided by the Uttarakhand forest department, 112 tigers have died between November 2000 and November 2016. This includes 56 natural deaths, 19 due to fights between the animals, 17 in accidents and six deaths in poaching incidents.
