Tigress, four cubs found dead in Karnataka's MM Hills
The forest minister has directed the PCCF to investigate and submit a report within three days, promising serious action against those responsible. 'The area has been immediately cordoned off and declared a protected zone. Standard Scene of Crime (SoC) protocols have been invoked, with a 500-metre sweep radius activated to preserve and collect all physical evidence. A five-member expert team has undertaken a comprehensive necropsy following NTCA protocols,' Khandre said.
Following the incident, the forest department has strengthened monitoring and anti-poaching vigilance using drones, and all anti-poaching camps have been put on high alert. A search for snares, poison baits, and traps is on. Officials have announced zero tolerance against wildlife crimes, and a 24x7 confidential helpline has been activated at the divisional office to receive tips on wildlife crimes.
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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
Karnataka lost 75 tigers in 5 years; 13 died of unnatural causes, one in accident
Karnataka witnessed the loss of 75 tigers between April 2020 and August 2025 BENGALURU: Between April 2020 and Aug 2025, Karnataka lost 75 tigers, nearly two-thirds of which were recorded in Nagarahole (26) and Bandipur (22) together. BRT tiger reserve and MM Hills lost eight and five tigers, respectively. Of the 75 deaths, 62 are due to natural reasons: internal conflict (between tigers), illness and old age. According to forest minister Eshwar Khandre, in the said time period, 13 tigers died unnaturally and cases under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 have been filed against those responsible for the deaths. Reasons for unnatural deaths are: gunshot, trapped in snares, poisoning, electrocution, poaching and accidents. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Gold Rates Today in Bengaluru | Silver Rates Today in Bengaluru Only 1 case of tiger death due to accident There's only one case of unnatural death caused by an accident - a male tiger aged 1-2 years died in a road accident caused in the Mysuru jurisdiction. Of the other 12, 50% or six, including the five deaths reported in MM Hills earlier this year, were caused by poisoning. Two tigers - a female aged 12-13 years and a male tiger aged 5-6 years - died after being trapped in snares. The female died on Nov 11, 2022 in Nagarahole, while the male died on Sept 14, 2021 in Bandipur. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo Among the five other tigers that died on unnatural causes, one each was electrocuted and shot dead, while two were killed by poachers (method not specified). According to the department, in areas where tiger activity is increasing, traps are being set up to capture and relocate them to suitable habitats. A dashboard called 'Hejje' has been developed by the department to monitor the daily movements of tigers equipped with radio collars. Information is being communicated wirelessly through the network. In order to support herbivore conservation so as to ensure food availability for tigers, the govt has put in place measures to protect and develop grasslands in forest areas and weeds like lantana and eupatorium, which hinder grass growth, are being removed to allow for the cultivation of grass beneficial to the forest. An advance alert system has been developed to warn and inform the public in case of tiger sightings in villages near the forest. As per Khandre, AI-based cameras have been installed in select areas to monitor tiger are also being used. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
06-08-2025
- The Hindu
NTCA highlights salary delays, staff shortage in its probe into M.M. Hills tiger deaths
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has flagged delays in salary disbursement and chronic staff shortage in its report investigating the death of five tigers at M.M. Hills wildlife sanctuary this June. Though the NTCA has not attributed the death to any of these issues, it has mentioned inadequate allotment of funds and delay in its release as one of the weaknesses plaguing M.M. Hills reserve. Wildlife activists have argued that if not for the delay in salary disbursement, the death of the tigers could perhaps have been avoided. Delay in sanctions According to the NTCA report, the Annual Plan of Operation (APO) for 2025–26, which enables the release of funds for frontline salaries and operations, was submitted by the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), M.M. Hills, to Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) T. Heeralal on May 21, 2025. But it was sanctioned only on May 30, with the approved copy reaching the division office on July 2 — almost a week after the tigers were found dead on June 26. The authorities were aware of the fact that the frontline staff had not been paid for three months and there was also a protest on June 23. Given the gravity of the situation, the CCF, Chamarajanagar, should not have delayed the approval of APO and this delay is questionable, said conservation activist Akhilesh Chipli. While forest officials claim the timelines follow standard State-level procedure, activists say the delay is inexcusable, especially when forest watchers are expected to patrol in dangerous terrain under constant threat from wildlife and poachers. Frontline staff Mr. Chipli said that frontline staff do not earn more than ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per month. Delaying their salaries for three to four months at a stretch is inhuman, he added. Though the contractor was supposed to make payments for upto six months in case of a delay in the release of funds by the government, the former said that payment of ₹90 lakh for three months was a huge financial burden on him, according to the NTCA report. 'Had the APO been cleared on time, salaries would not have been delayed and the morale of ground staff wouldn't have taken a hit,' said Mr. Chipli, who argued that such delays cannot be dismissed as procedural issues. Giridhar Kulkarni, wildlife conservationist, said given the hierarchy and based on documents, it did not appear that the Range Forest Officer and the Assistant Conservator of Forest had any role in the disbursement of salaries which was cited as the primary reason for their suspension, and called for the revocation. Severe staff shortage The report also highlighted another systemic failure of chronic staff shortage which compromises forest protection. In M.M. Hills wildlife division, 53% of sanctioned posts are vacant and out of 222 sanctioned positions, only 103 are filled. In the Hoogyam range, where the deaths occurred, there is just one forest watcher and seven beat foresters for nearly 148 sq. km of sensitive forest area, as per the report. 'Declare it sanctuary' NTCA has called for declaring the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve to provide an additional layer of protection and scale up conservation efforts.
New Indian Express
06-08-2025
- New Indian Express
Odisha to adopt HAWK for wildlife crime monitoring
BHUBANESWAR: In a major step towards tightening the noose around poachers and wildlife criminals, the state government is planning to replicate the Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK) system, an advanced data-driven platform that has revolutionised wildlife crime monitoring and enforcement in Kerala. Addressing the state-level DFO conference here, PCCF (Wildlife)-cum-chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha said the state wildlife wing will soon use HAWK technology to replace manual documentation of wildlife crimes, and equip forest field staff and wildlife crime investigating officials with realtime data tracking, analysis and intelligence generation. The state will also leverage the cutting-edge technology for effective wildlife management. The cloud-based information management system used by the Kerala Forest department to combat wildlife crime will enhance forest officials' ability to prevent and address illegal wildlife trade and related activities, sources said. Jha said the state is also planning to launch PRAHAR application for submission of monthly progress report at divisional-level for regular monitoring of forest and wildlife management and to improve transparency. He spoke on other advanced technologies being used for forest and wildlife management. Use of AI camera towers and AI integrated trail guard cameras have immensely helped officials in Similipal and other forest landscapes to monitor movement of the wildlife and crackdown against the wildlife criminals. Use of thermal drone and other technologies have also proven to be huge success, he said.
