Authorities in India have rounded up a total of ten people in connection with killing tigers in two separate incidents.
In Bhopal, seven people were arrested and charged with electrocuting a tiger in the Veerpur range. The accused claimed the electric wire was intended for “an herbivore” and that they had killed the tiger accidentally, then tried to hide the body by chopping it into pieces small enough to carry.
The Times of India reports that Bhagwan Singh Bhel, Bhaina Bhel, Kare Singh Bhel, Mor Singh Bhel, Kamal Bhel, Jagdia Bhel and Naval Singh were remanded to judicial custody until at least June 26th, and could ultimately face ten years in prison.
The four-year-old tiger was thought to have come from the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in Raisen.
In Corbett National Park, the Uttarakhand Forest Department and the Special Task Force (STF) nabbed three suspected tiger killers and confiscated their steel traps. However, five suspects are still at large.
NDTV identified the trio as Ramesh Bagdi, Giniya Bagdi and Tarachand Bagdi — members of the “Bagdi” gang and known for their “skill at wildlife poaching”.
During the last two weeks, six tigers have been killed in Corbett National Park.
Image by H. Zell via Wikimedia Commons
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.