Poaching is back. What is worse, they are insiders
Tamil Nadu is no longer a safe heaven for the big cats.
After
the seizure of two tiger skins in two months, a police intelligence
unit on Sunday recovered one more leopard skin and body parts in the
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). As this is the fourth seizure of
leopard skins this year, environmentalists say it is a clear indication
that poaching is back in the State. Alarmingly, the poachers are from
inside — from the community living on the fringes of the forests.
In
this case, volunteers of the Tamil Nadu Green Movement (TNGM), a
conservation organisation, came to know that someone at Gondri in the
STR was carrying a gun and trying to sell animal trophies. They
approached Kannaiyan, the main accused, and then informed the Organised
Crime Intelligence Unit, a wing of the police. The police raided his
house at Iruttippalayam and recovered the leopard skin and body parts.
Kannaiyan and his associates were handed over to the Forest Department.
Preliminary
investigations by forest officials revealed that the accused had set up
a trap for catching mouse deer on his farm at Gondri in January, around
Pongal. However, a sub-adult leopard got caught in it, and this was
later beaten to death. Later, Kannaiyan and his associates skinned the
animal and removed the body parts.
S. Jayachandran,
joint secretary, TNGM, said the Forest Department should seize the
weapon used for poaching the leopard and conduct a thorough probe.
A
senior officer from the wildlife wing said the lack of coordination
between forest officials of the State and the Centre was one of the
reasons for increased poaching. Besides, the intelligence wing of the
Forest Department was yet to get pro-active and act professionally while
dealing with organised wildlife crimes, Forest Department officials
say.
Like the police intelligence wing, the forest
intelligence wing should systematically collect details of habitual
poachers and keep an eye on them, officials say. The local community
should identify poachers from outside and alert Forest Department
officials. If locals have taken to poaching, the department has to
gather intelligence from the tribal communities co-existing with the
wildlife in protected areas.
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