Problem tigress t1 shot dead sans any tranquillizing efforts

Nagpur: T1, the problem tigress of Pandharkawda, finally lost over a one-year-long battle for life to bullet on Friday night. The five-year-old big cat was shot dead around 11pm by Hyderabad-based sharp shooter Shafath Ali Khan’s son Asghar (35) without making any tranquillizing efforts.
T1 was gunned down by Asghar, who did not have permission to shoot the tigress. The orders issued by PCCF (wildlife) AK Misra were in the name of his father Shafath (60) and wildlife veterinarian M Navin Kumar (65). Both were not at the spot when T1 was killed.

There was no veterinarian or any senior forest officer with the team. Kumar was never seen during the entire two-month operation.

When news reached about T1’s presence in compartment number 149 in Borati nullah, Asghar, accompanied by four field staffers, reached the spot and shot the tigress dead.

Yavatmal chief conservator of forest (CCF) PG Rahurkar said, “Asghar fired a dart first. He shot T1 in self-defence as it charged on the teams seated in an open Gypsy.”

Rahurkar confirmed there was no wildlife vet or any senior forest officer with the team. The CCF did not have any justification how tranquillizing attempt was made in the night against National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocol. It states that darting should be done only after sunrise and before sunset.

He also did not comment on how schedule drug to sedate T1 was handled without a registered and authorized vet under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1984.

Sources, who were part of the spot panchnama of T1, said it looked as if the dart was manually pierced in its body ostensibly to show that it was tranquillized before being shot. “There was not a single scratch mark on the body. The bullet had pierced into the heart and lungs killing the tigress on the spot,” they told TOI.

“We have ordered a probe into the episode leading to controversy. Statements of team members are being recorded,” said Rahurkar.

An official said there is every possibility of spot panchnama being tampered with as it was prepared at 3am, but officials concerned were given the copy at 1pm. “It was also showed to Shafath Ali Khan on Saturday,” said a senior official.

Misra said, “T1 was sighted by many passers-by as Friday was a bazaar day. A team led by Asghar was stationed there and it sighted the tigress several times. When team member Sheikh Mukhbir shot the dart, the animal charged at the team. Hence, she was shot by Asghar from 8-10 metres in self-defence.”

After the incident, forest officials went into a huddle and were shy of confirming the facts till Saturday. “The forest department violated its own order upheld by high court and the Supreme Court, which stated that first tranquillizing efforts would be done. However, during the last two months of operation, not a single attempt was made to dart the tigress,” said Karnataka veterinary expert Dr Prayag HS.

“Only forensic and ballistic tests can reveal the truth. The incident exposes true colours of shooter Khan and his men about his instinct to kill and not capture tigers,” Dr Prayag added.

Though chief wildlife warden may permit any person to hunt a Schedule-I animal becoming dangerous to humans as per section 11/1 (A) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Khan got a special letter from CCF Yavatmal on October 10, granting him and his team special protection under Section 11 (2) of the Act. The section states that if T1 attacked while capturing, it will be shot in self-defence. Asghar and team accompanying him were granted special protection.

“Orders to shoot the tigress were issued by Misra in the name of Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, who was not present at the scene when the shooting took place,” said senior officials.

While talking to TOI during a spot visit to Pandharkawda last month, Khan said he did not want any legal trouble due to pre-condition of tranquillizing.

To get rid of a mob and waiting journalists, T1 was shifted amid tight security at 3am to Gorewada Rescue Centre at Nagpur for post mortem.

The shooting of T1 sans any tranquillizing efforts has come in for sharp criticism from wildlife lovers. “This is a cold-blooded murder. Why efforts were not made to first dart the animal as per court orders? The forest department had promised to make tranquillizing efforts first before killing,” said petitioner Dr Jerryl Banait.

“Senior forest officials wanted to celebrate Diwali and were fed up with their stay at Pandharkawda. Hence, they ordered to gun down T1 in a hurry. The incident should be probed in a fair manner and violators should be booked,” demanded RTI activist Avinash Prabhune.

“The department spent at least Rs90 lakh on T1’s capture operation and logistics in the last one year by roping in 200 men, experts, thermal drones, perfume, sniffer dogs, paraglider, 112 camera traps. But the so-called expert, Khan, too failed to capture the tigress,” said Yavatmal honorary wildlife warden Ramzan Virani.

T1 was blamed for killing 13 villagers but there are four tigers in the problem area. There is no scientific evidence that T1 killed all 13 humans.

Sources said two 10-month-old cubs of T1 are said to be in Borati area. As of now, there is no concrete plan to capture them.