Chandrapur, Feb 1 (PTI) The Wildlife Crime Control Board (WCCB), a central government body, on Saturday issued a “red alert” to the field directors of tiger reserves in the country, asking them to intensify patrolling to prevent poaching of big cats, a senior forest official here said.
WCCB Joint Director Manoj Kumar issued a letter with “Red alert about the threat of tiger poaching” as its subject line.
WCCB is a statutory multi-disciplinary body established by the central government under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, to combat organised wildlife crime in the country.
“This is to alert and sensitise the Field Directors of all Tiger Reserves and officials concerning the outer areas of tiger reserves, including tiger bearing areas, based on credible intelligence inputs and revelations of recent arrests made in Central Chandra Forest Division, Chandrapur Maharashtra. Organized hunting gangs and nomads have been seen active in and around Central Indian Highlands, Eastern Ghats, Shivalik Hills, Gangetic Plains and Landscapes like Satpura, Tadoba, Pench, Balaghat, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Jim Corbett, Amangarh, Pilibhit, Valmiki, Rajaji Tiger reserves and their adjoining tiger bearing areas,” the letter said.
“Accordingly, the Field Directors of all Tiger Reserves and officials concerned may immediately intensify patrolling and surveillance. They should visit the identified sensitive areas and look for the suspected nomadic people in tents/deras near temples, railway stations, bus stations, abandoned buildings, public shelter places and sanitise areas as a preventive measure,” it added.
Help from local police should be taken in undertaking preventive measures, gathering intelligence, organising searches, and making seizures and arrests, it said.
The letter also attaches an advisory issued by the WCCB in July 2023 for ‘Surveillance of wanderers, nomadic and hunting communities involved in tiger poaching’.
A senior forest department official said the red alert was issued after a tiger was found dead in Jogapur Reserve Forest area under Rajura Forest Range under Central Chanda Division.
Sources in the forest department said five special search teams were formed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). These teams were equipped with advanced metal detectors and two separate dog squads from chandrapur police and Gondia Forest Division.
The search parties have been conducting the foot patrol for the past few days in strategic paths based on the probable locations of the accused in the last few months.
One of the teams found a tiger carcass in the Jogapur reserve with weapons used for poaching and wearable accessories. All the samples have been collected and are being sent for forensic analysis, the official said. PTI COR NP
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