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Time of India
28-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Rising Stripes Script Tadoba's Roaring Tiger Story
Nagpur: From just over dozen tigers recorded in 2010, to almost a hundred in 2024 – Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has emerged as a perfect example of how merging conservation and protection methods yield results in increasing tiger numbers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With the highest number of tigers in Maharashtra, it's no surprise that TATR attracts around 3.75lakh tourists annually – a feat no other tiger reserve in the state even comes close to. Prabhu Nath Shukla, field director TATR said the journey of the tiger reserve from being just one of many others, to becoming a haven for big cats is due to persistent efforts in wildlife management and implementation of strategies with a 360-degree view. "Protection and conservation go hand in hand, you really cannot ignore one at the cost of the other. At TATR the forest department along with other stakeholders has done capacity building in both segments to achieve this holistic growth in tiger numbers," said Shukla. TATR focussed on creating one of the best grassland habitats, which in turn attracted herbivores in huge numbers, which in turn kept increasing the tiger numbers in the region. Shukla said, "We also have a really good waterhole network and this ensures equitable presence of animals in the entire region." With water and prey base taken care of, TATR's next challenge in conservation was external threat to tigers. To keep tabs on poachers, forest officials built up a strong informer network and even set up a cyber cell to track movement of known poachers and build a database of new ones. Protection huts deep inside the forest for staffers, with all amenities, including full stock of ration kits, have been built across the forest area, and this helps for increased on-ground 24/7 monitoring of sensitive areas plus intelligence gathering. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Shukla said, "Forest officials regularly conduct anti-snare and anti-electrocution drives, thus reducing chances of big cats falling prey to poachers. Apart from this there is M-STRIPES, which is a smart patrolling and ecological monitoring system that uses GPS, remote sensing, and a mobile app to track patrols, record wildlife data, and manage human-wildlife conflicts." A key factor in Tadoba's success has been the rehabilitation of villages from the core area. "This has created vast inviolate spaces for wildlife. Additionally, ecotourism has provided steady livelihood support to communities in the buffer, turning them into active partners in conservation," Shukla said. With exceptional control over fire incidents, TATR has ensured minimal destruction of habitat. Shukla said "The area under TATR is approximately 1.72 lakh hectares and last year fire incidents were reported in 24 hectares of area." The accepted benchmark for fire incidents in forest is 1% of the entire forest area. TATR reported fires in less than 0.014% which is phenomenal considering its massive geographical jurisdiction. Tadoba is also among the few reserves to adopt Artificial Intelligence for monitoring tigers and leopards. "Our AI-backed system helps us track movement patterns and identify behavioural anomalies. An AI Wall alerts villagers about predator movement and reduces man-animal conflict. We also run a Patrol Reporting Tool (PRT) system that enhances real-time feedback from field teams," he noted. With TATR now in process of hiring an "AI Officer", the huge data bank it has will be converted into meaningful policy points and chart out strategies to further strengthen conservation.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- The Hindu
Tiger deaths at M.M. Hills: DCF and two officers suspended
Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has recommended the suspension of three officers for dereliction of duty and negligence in the case of the unnatural death of five tigers — a mother and her cubs — in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka on June 26. The three officers are Deputy Conservator of Forests Chakrapani Y., Assistant Conservator of Forests Gajanana Hegde of M.M. Hills Wildlife Division, and Range Forest Officer-cum-Surveyor Madesh. On June 30, the three officers were sent on compulsory leave until further notice. The Minister, who received and reviewed the preliminary report of the high-level inquiry committee headed by Additional Chief Principal Conservator of Forests Kumar Pushkar, made this recommendation to suspend the trio to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms. A Forest Department order, which had asked the three officers to go on leave, had said that non-payment of salary and allowances to the frontline outsourced staff had hampered the patrolling in the area where the death of the five tigers occurred. According to a statement from Mr. Khadre, though money was released by April-end to pay the salary and allowances to the frontline outsourced staff, not paying them till June is a dereliction of duty on the part of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, which has caused setbacks in the patrol work. The outsourced staff had protested on June 23 over not being paid since March. 'It is apparent that the frontline staff was evading duty due to non-payment of salary on time,' Mr. Khadre said. According to the preliminary investigation report, the cause of death of the 11-year-old tiger and her four cubs, aged 10 to 11 months, was due to a chemical compound sprayed on the carcass of a cow that was attacked and killed by a tiger. 'It is observed that for an area of 147.99 sq. km, we have only seven posts of beat forester filled against the sanctioned strength of 21, and only one forest watcher post is filled against the sanctioned strength of seven. There is a serious shortage of frontline staff to carry out protection duties effectively. Based on the above facts, the frontline staff cannot be blamed for negligence or failure in their duty, leading to the death of five tigers. However, a detailed analysis of M-STRIPES and patrol data will give a clearer picture of the regularity of patrolling,' the preliminary report stated. Forest officials have arrested three persons who were allegedly directly involved in the case. Mr. Khandre said the officers have completely failed to monitor and have shown negligence in their basic duty of forest protection. Apart from suspending the three officers, he also instructed the authorities to conduct a departmental inquiry. Mr. Khandre has also directed that the final report of the committee be submitted by July 10.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Death of five tigers: Discovery of cow carcass strengthens poisoning doubt
Bengaluru, The discovery of a seemingly stale carcass of a cow in Hugyam forest range in Mahadeshwara Hills on Friday strengthens the doubt that the death of a tigress and her four cubs could be due to poisoning, officials said. Death of five tigers: Discovery of cow carcass strengthens poisoning doubt These five tigers were found dead in this forest on Thursday. It is suspected that the miscreants had poisoned the cow, and after eating it, the tigress and its cubs might have died. "Either the bovine was poisoned before being left in the forest, or the owner of the cattle, after spotting the dead cow, would have spread poison on its body, which the tigress and her cubs ate and died," the officer said. Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre too backed the same theory. He said someone might have poisoned the cattle, which led to the death of the big cats. "Our government has taken the matter very seriously, and we will investigate it from all angles. We will not spare those behind it," Khandre told reporters. While the autopsy on the mother tigress was done on Thursday itself, the postmortem on the four cubs was underway on Friday, the forest officials said. The tigress and the cubs were found dead during routine morning patrol by vigilant frontline staff, officials said. A five-member team of experts on Thursday undertook a comprehensive necropsy following NTCA protocols. The tissue, blood, and stomach samples were being processed for toxicology, histopathology, and DNA profiling, forest officials said. Following the incident, the forest department has strengthened monitoring and anti-poaching vigilance across the Hugyam range. According to Kandre, real-time drone surveillance, infrared cameras, and GPS-based M-STRIPES patrols have been escalated across the range, and all Anti-Poaching Camps are on high alert. Intensive sweeps for snares, poison baits, and traps are being conducted, and a confidential informer network with reward mechanisms is operational for actionable intelligence, Khandre had said on Thursday. Karnataka had the second highest number of tigers in the country, with 563 of these big cats, after Madhya Pradesh, which has 785, as per the Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India 2022 report. The report was released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority . This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka forest minister orders probe into 'unnatural death' of tigress, four cubs
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Thursday ordered a probe into the "unnatural death" of a tigress and four cubs in Male Mahadeshwara Hills under the Hugyam forest range. Bengaluru: Mortal remains of a tigress after it died with four cubs at Male Mahadeshwara Hills under the Hugyam forest range, in Bengaluru.(PTI) The tigress and the cubs were found dead during routine morning patrol by vigilant frontline staff, officials said. Expressing sorrow over the incident, Khandre immediately ordered an investigation into the matter, which will be led by a team under the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). As per preliminary information, the tigers died allegedly due to poisoning. However, a detailed investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of death, they said. "The area has been immediately cordoned off and declared a protected zone. Standard Scene of Crime (SoC) protocols have been invoked, with a 500-meter sweep radius activated to preserve and collect all physical evidence. A five-member team expert has undertaken a comprehensive necropsy following NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) protocols," Khandre said, in a statement. The minister said comprehensive tissue, blood, and stomach samples are being processed for toxicology, histopathology, and DNA profiling. In accordance with the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and NTCA guidelines, a high-level inquiry committee has been initiated following the orders of the Chief Wildlife Warden, Karnataka. The committee shall submit a comprehensive report within 14 days, he said. Following the incident, the forest department has strengthened monitoring and anti-poaching vigilance across the Hugyam range. According to Kandre, real-time drone surveillance, infrared cameras, and GPS-based M-STRIPES patrols have been escalated across the range and all Anti-Poaching Camps (APCs) are on high alert. Intensive sweeps for snares, poison baits and traps are being conducted and a confidential informer network with reward mechanisms is operational for actionable intelligence, he said. The minister has issued instructions to the Additional Chief Secretary and the Chief Wildlife Warden of the forest department, stating that the government is taking the deaths of five tigers very seriously and has directed that action be taken against those found guilty. Referring to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Project Tiger for the protection of endangered tigers, the minister noted that Karnataka has also taken proactive steps in tiger conservation. With 563 tigers, the state ranks second in the country. He added that it is deeply painful that five tigers died unnaturally in a single day in a state known for its tiger conservation. "If negligence by forest staff is found, or if the deaths were caused by electrocution, poisoning, or any other reason, criminal cases should be filed against those responsible and appropriate action taken," he stated. "The Karnataka Forest Department upholds a strict zero-tolerance policy against wildlife crime. Any evidence of foul play, negligence, or human interference will invite stringent legal action under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972," he added. The Minister appealed to local communities, wildlife enthusiasts, and the general public to stand united in this moment of loss. "Tiger conservation is a collective responsibility. A 24x7 confidential helpline has been activated at the Division Office to receive credible tips on wildlife crimes," he added.
