Madhya Pradesh, once famous as the “tiger state”, lost 453 tigers over the last decade. And how many culprits did the state government manage to bring to book? Just two.
Recently accessed documents reveal only two cases of tiger poaching reached the logical conclusion of conviction. Sample the facts: according to the tiger conservation programme “Project Tiger”, the tiger population in Madhya Pradesh in 2001-02 stood at 710.
However, the 2011 tiger census revealed there were only 257 tigers left in the State's six tiger reserves — Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Bori-Satpura, Sanjay Dubri, and Pench.
This means the State lost 453 tigers between 2001 and 2011. Yet, the State forest department could manage only two convictions during this period, as of March 2012.
According to information accessed by wildlife activist Ajay Dube under the Right to Information act, two cases of tiger poaching were punished with three years rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs. 10,000 each.
While one of the cases was from the Umaria forest division that covers the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve, the other was from the Sehora division covering the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
Besides the two convictions for tiger poaching, the forest department got three convictions for the poaching of four leopards in three separate cases.
The decadal decline in the big cat population in the state is alarming. At 453, it is almost half the number of tigers lost globally (1069) over the last decade (2000 to 2010), according to a recent report by TRAFFIC international, a wildlife trade monitoring network (http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_mammals60.pdf)
“The prosecution is so weak that poachers have no fear of the law and they know that they would eventually get away,” says wildlife activist Ajay Dube.
Last year's census figures resulted in Madhya Pradesh losing the “Tiger state” sobriquet to Karnataka, which recorded over 300 big cats.
Madhya Pradesh's tiger conservation efforts were exposed for the first time in 2009, when it was suddenly revealed that Panna, one of the State's premier tiger reserves, had lost its entire big cat population.
Later, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan faced fire from conservationists after he announced there would be no buffer zone for the Panna Tiger Reserve and that the proposed Ratapani Tiger Reserve would not be established as both developments would cause the displacement of a large number of people.
However, official sources have repeatedly confirmed to The Hindu that both developments were being delayed to protect the interests of the powerful mining lobby in the two regions.
Further doubts on the State's conservation efforts were cast by a confidential report of the Panna Tiger Reserve's field director, who claimed forest officials were acting in collusion with poachers, thus maintaining a consistent threat to the revival of tiger population in the reserve.
This story was corrected for factual errors
Keywords: Project Tiger, tiger census, tiger poaching
The cruel jaw traps used for getting tigers is banned in many countries.
So the govt. can think of imposing some hefty fine and 2-4 years in prison for those who possess/manufacture such traps in M.P. Poachers from M.P. after killing hundreds of tigers have spread out to south India and have been caught in and around Nagara Hole forests in Coorg.The Bandipur tiger reserve is in the nighbourhood of Nagara Hole forest.So any conservation effort of tigers can not be an isolated entity but a concerted activity.
Indians dont deserve these beautiful creatures. They r selfish, gullible and short sighted people. We will soon lose these tigers because of the narrow interests of politicians and the stupid vote bank politics. I think we have had enough democracy - it is time for some strong martial law in India!
India must see these beautiful tigers as gifts from God and do everything to protect them!
Obviously there is not a big enough deterrent, the poacher should stand to lose more than he/she gains. Should be a minimum of 30 yeas jail for killing tiger.....
I don't think bringing new laws would save the tiger or anything wild, for that matter. What we need is a motivated, trained and well-equipped enforcement agency. The forest departments of almost all the states display a sorry figure. In comparison, police departments of the same states are far better. A government with a shoddily organised police force will no doubt, fall. This is not the case with the forest department. Except a minority comprising conservationists, activists and researchers, nobody cares for wildlife. Conservation can happen only when people demand it.
This is a paltry fine that is levied--should be R 1 lakh, and RI--yes life term. Quite obviosly the LAws do not value wild life too much anyway.
just 03 yrs imprisonment & 10,000 INR fine for killing our national animal.i think its a reward not punishment.They never arrest the master mind behind all this.They just arrest the small people of this big game.And they thing its a big achievement. They are part of our natural cycle.the Gov. is investing lots of money in all this but where is the money going. what are the forest officers and the forest department doing in the forest are they sleeping when these animal are being killed.
They are appointed to protect the forest & its habitat but all the gov.officers never do their duty properly. if they have performed their duties properly these decreases No. could have rather increased.
India is riddled with corruption. The poachers make lakhs of rupees by
selling different body parts of the tiger, for which there is a
thriving black market in China and other countries. It is obvious that
the poachers bribe the forestry officials to slow down the
investigations or just look the other way. Tigers, elephants, rhinos,
millions of tons of iron ore - what's the difference?
After 27 years of investigations and four high level inquiry
commission reports naming names, nobody has been convicted yet for the
1984 massacre of over 2000 Sikhs in and around Delhi. Why would you
think that tigers are more important than humans?
The findings of tiger deaths and drastic reduction in the Tiger
population is very critical at this point.The ground reality is very
bitter as compared to the theoretical assumptions.Much is talked and
adversely little is done.Poaching is ongoing as the present figures
depict.A comprehensive solution is needed to curb such kind of
activities.Social as well as economical factors have to be blended
with the issue of forest and wildlife conservation.Special attention
towards the people nearby and surrounding the reserves has to be given
and involvement of these people in the conservation act needs to be
done. Incentives to the non-governmental persons involved in
activities like guides needs to be given when the parks are closed
down for 3-4 months during rainy season.Use of modern technology is
the urge of time and well equipped and administered forest department
must be the focus point.The forest department and the surrounding
population needs greater focus and attention today.
10,000 fine is not enough. It should be life time jail.
All these tiger activist have their tourist resorts in the vicinity of
tiger reserves, they earn huge amount catering to tourist. You go to
any of the declared tiger reserve and find out for yourself be it
bandhavgarh, ranthambore or kanha. The columnist become pressure group
with these type of articles to get clearances for their resort which
otherwise are not available for you and me. The reason for tiger extinction is not only poaching for medicinal value but creating hype
as being getting extinct so more valuable and in-turn more money for
poachers. Have law which is stringent and deterrent to all.
Stop all tourist activities in and around reserve apart from reducing
forest support staff in a tiger reserve. I bet no poacher from outside
can find a tiger in a tiger reserve without the help of forest
personals or forest guide who only know where it could be in the night
or day time.
I feel that Chief conservator of MP forest department should be tried on the charges of criminal negligence. A rigorous imprisionment must be awarded to Chief Forest conservator for his negligence towards duty, collusion with poachers-politician links. CBI should be asked to register a case against officials and bring them to book.
A beautiful photograph.It should be a treat to all animal lovers.I have added it to my album.
Mining in forests and poaching are the major concerns for the fall in
census.The strength of Indian judicial system and Police dept. are very
weak. Not to forget that the common people are also not showing any sort
responsibility, which is clearly evident with their "I don't mind and
its not my problem" attitude. The degree of punishments should be very
severe that the people should fear even to commit small mistakes.
Getting sick of our bureaucracy and politicians. Only 3years for killing a Tiger? It should be life term or capital punishment. Why should society be lenient to such thugs and crooks.When will our leaders ever understand the value of Mother Nature and does something for conservation of wildlife.
Three year's imprisonment and ten thousand of penalty is not enough to prevent the poacher's to hunt and kill the tiger.Govenment should make stringent law to sue those which are involved in this crime.
This news report makes the assumption that all 453 tigers were lost due to poaching. Some of them could have died of natural causes. Having said that there is no denying the fact that rampant poaching has caused a precipitous drop in the population.The convicted poachers are mere pawns in this ugly business. Three years is too lenient a punishment for destroying our living national heritage. Even the dealers and agents behind tiger skin trade must be brought to justice.
There are lions in the indore forest. Forest department has not paid owner of one of domestic animals killed and may result in poisoning of lions and tigers
We should take the tiger census every year. Then enact a law that if the tiger population has increased since last year, all forest officials are allowed to keep their post. Otherwise all will be released from duty.
That will put an end to the poaching.
In my view honesty is a very far off reality. We only dramatize honesty. We are only for the sake of govt. job which should give us a good salary and no work. Tiger for us only a way of earning money till it lasts. No LOVE for TIGER exists here in my view. When the Tiger will become extinct, we will be looking for its fossils. Only for the sake of money and name. Law in India looks like that it has to dramatize action and honesty with no results for unlimited years.
10,000 rupee fine is a laughable. The fine should go up several hundred
thousand rupees, more than the purported value of a dead tiger. Also,
information about poachers should be rewarded with the money collected
from fine. This will put an end to the issue.
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