The National Tiger Conservation Authority has sought action against Odisha officials after concluding that the death of a tiger brought from Madhya Pradesh took place in the Satkosia Reserve due to poaching, and that there were attempts to conceal the truth. The directive came after NTCA went through the findings of its Inspector General, Amit Mallick, Inspector General of NTCA, who had visited Satkosia to probe death of tiger T1 (brought from Kanha Reserve of M.P).
According to NTCA probe report, death of T1 on November 14 had happened under unnatural circumstances and the postmortem report was inadequate.
“Prima facie analysis and nature of injury sustained, tracking team observations and independent interactions with field staff reveal that the death is due to injury sustained from a snare trap and a clear case of poaching. Evidently, the concerned field authorities are attempting to conceal facts in respect of the death of T1 which is due to snaring,” says NTCA report.
Upon receiving the report, Vaibhav C Mathur, NTCA Assistant Inspector General, wrote to Odisha’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), that “this warrants serious action against all concerned. Immediate action should be initiated against those responsible as it has resulted in embarrassment and keeping the project in abeyance.”
The NTCA report has also expressed concerns over condition of T2, the tigress imported from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. “The tigress has been put through tremendous stress and needs to be conditioned or ‘rewilded’ before it is fit for release into the wild. The rehabilitation enclosure holding T2 needs adequate wilderness enrichment and modification,” says the report.
The two big cats were brought to Satkosia Tiger Reserve as part of revival of tiger population in Satkosia. Another four tigers were proposed to be introduced in Satkosia in phases. But the ambitious project has been kept in abeyance following death of tiger and recapture of tigress which used to stray into human habitations.
The NTCA probe observes that, “it is strongly felt that adequate amount of overall preparedness and community engagement is becoming a prerequisite before we can move, any further, in respect of the tiger augmentation process in Satkosia. Neither can we risk life of the people nor the tiger.”
“Capacity building of staff, community engagement, relocation of villages, prey augmentation and distribution assessment, veterinary care and capacity, real time monitoring and elephant squad need to be seriously functional in the desired manner, before we can attempt to restart the tiger augmentation process, presently kept in abeyance,” the apex body on tiger conservation recommends.