Deaths at MM Hills draw attention to need for stronger tiger protection

Time of India

8 hours ago

Mysuru: Tiger deaths outside tiger reserves have raised concerns, even as authorities are contemplating plans to step up measures for the protection of big cats.
The recent death of five tigers in MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary has once again drawn attention to the need for stronger tiger conservation measures outside reserve areas.
This year, seven out of ten tiger deaths in Karnataka occurred outside the designated tiger reserves.
Between 2012 and 2024 (till Sept), 179 tigers died in Karnataka, some of them outside tiger reserves and national parks where conservation plans are strictly implemented as per the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. Karnataka recorded the presence of 565 tigers during the tiger census, and about 60 of them are in non-tiger reserve areas.
Karnataka has five tiger reserves—Bandipur, Nagarahole, BRT, Bhadra, and Kali.
Four tigers died outside the reserve area in 2024, six tigers in 2023, and three tigers in 2022.
Field director (Project Tiger) P Ramesh Kumar told TOI that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is coming out with a scheme for tiger conservation in non-tiger reserve areas where about 60 tigers are found.
Usually, the sub-adult and aged tigers search for areas to settle as the big cats are territorial animals.
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As a result, the sub-adult tigers come out of the forests to find their territory, whereas the aged and weak tigers come out in search of easy prey on the fringes of forests, the IFS officer, who served as Bandipur Tiger Reserve director, explained.
Unlike in tiger reserves, conservation plans in wildlife sanctuaries and territorial forests are different, the IFS officer said. Now, after several incidents of tiger conflicts and deaths outside reserves across India, the NTCA recently revealed plans to bring in strict regulations to protect the tigers.
Another officer claimed that when injured or aged tigers seek shelter in the forest border, they usually prey on cattle being grazed near the forest. In that case, a farmer losing their cattle in tiger or leopard attacks will receive Rs 30,000 compensation. The compensation should be provided to the farmers quickly.
Karnataka earlier witnessed cases of tiger poisoning after cattle were killed. Farmers sprayed venomous liquid to avenge the killing as the tiger returned to its prey to feed.
Nagarahole reported two cases of poisoning in the last one-and-a-half decade, while the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary case of last week is the biggest incident as five tigers died due to poisoning.
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Judicial custody
The three accused arrested in connection with the poisoning of the five tigers in MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary were handed over to judicial custody by the forest department on Thursday. MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in-charge DCF S Santhosh Kumar informed TOI that the accused taken into custody for investigation three days previously were sent back on Thursday. If necessary, the accused would be taken into custody, he said.
Meanwhile, the committee headed by APCCF Kumar Pushakar, investigating the case, has continued its probe at the wildlife area. The committee has to submit its findings to the govt before mid-July.