A day after Orissa High Court rapped the State Forest Department for its inability to prevent elephant poaching in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), one of the largest tracts of contiguous forest in India, Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha police on December 14 seized a hide of Royal Bengal Tiger, population of which is dwindling in the State.
The tiger hide was seized from wildlife traders from Udala area in the buffer region of Similipal. According to Vanoomitra Acharya, former honorary wildlife warden who has long years of experience in working in Similpal, he was tipped off by sources that a tiger hide was up for sale.
“I informed the STF and at the same time followed it with the trader. We offered to pay ₹5 lakh for the one hide of tiger which was mutually agreed,” said Mr. Acharya.
Subsequently, a trap was laid with help of STF personnel. When traders came by a bike to deliver the tiger skin near Belpal Chhak under Udala police station jurisdiction to deliver the hide in the wee hours of Wednesday, the STF personnel grabbed him. Two others who were accompanying the accused escaped from the spot taking advantage of darkness.
The length of the skin was above 7ft and width is about 3.5 ft. The accused has been identified as Samarendra Patra of Musakhai village.
“We are sending the skin to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun to carry out further biological examination so that age of tiger and time of killing can be ascertained,” said Jai Narayan Pankaj, Deputy Inspector General of STF.
“What sounded horrifying to us that during negotiation was that the traders had offered another tiger skin, leopard hide and 9kg of elephant tusk. It also appeared that the tiger was killed about few months ago as the skin was not fully dried. Poachers also appeared skillful as they peeled off skin along with nails of tiger,” the activist described.
The STR suffered the ignominy a day after a division Bench of Orissa High Court comprising Chief Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice M. S. Raman expressed serious concerns over elephant death in south division of Similipal where attempts were made by Forest Department employees to destroy evidence of elephant poaching.
The Bench on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over submission of Chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chairman joint task force (JTF) Manoj V Nair who presented the steps being planned to check elephant poaching in Similipal.
“We are always reacting to a situation all the time, but we are not preventing anything from happening. So what are the preventive measures we have to put in place and how quickly we can put in place. Because, this has been a very bad year for elephants in Odisha. It is perhaps the worst year, something going wrong terribly.” Justice Muralidhar observed.
When Chief Justice wanted preventive measures put in pace to stop elephant deaths, Mr. Nair on virtual mode replied that the Department would soon come up with detail plan by January 18, when the next hearing was scheduled. To this, Justice Muralidhar said it was still a month away and how many elephants would be lost during that time.
“We want action on ground now. This has gone on for long. It seems we are helpless bystanders just watching his happen. We just cannot afford this. This is the moment seize, see the challenges and opportunities. You have to think short-term and long-term action. You can streamline whole thing for the future,” the Bench told Mr. Nair representing State Forest Department.
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The HC advanced the next hearing December 22 and directed the Department to come up with a detail measures to be taken to prevent elephant deaths.
Meanwhile, State Forest Department swung into action arresting three forest staff for their involvement in destroying the elephant carcass.
