Tigers missing from Bihar forest reserves

SPEAKING FOR ITSELF: The tiger skin siezed by SSB jawans reveal the real story of the poaching mafia.

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Keywords: Poaching, Tigers

Patna: Till two years ago, there was ample number of tigers in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve, but their numbers have dropped from 56 to 23.

The thriving poaching mafia on either side of the India-Nepal border is the cause for the decreasing number of the tigers.

According to a CAG report released late last year, the number of tigers was down to 33 in 2005, when the last census was conducted, from 56 counted in 2002.

The CAG report is, however, silent about the reason behind tigers disappearance.

The Valmiki forest is a notified reserved area and is supposed to be guarded round the clock.

But these tiger and deerskin siezed by SSB jawans reveal the real story.

“Since our movement started, the poachers have killed the tigers in such a way that it is hard to trace them,” says SSB Commandant, H S Gaddey.

A poacher who agreed to speak to CNN-IBN confirms the commandant's words.

“The poachers mostly use nets to trap the tigers. This way the skin of the tigers do not get spoilt and we get a good sum for that,” says a poacher, Ramanuj.

Authorities say because the Valmiki forests extend across the border to Nepal, keeping a check on the poaching mafia is difficult.

But poachers say local police and wildlife officials are part of the racket.

“Nothing can be done without the involvement of forest officials,” says Ramanuj.

The government lacks all necessary tools to fight this menace out, be it the will to protect tigers or infrastructure to deal with poachers and criminals.