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Tiger poachers behind killing of Gir Lions08 April, 2007 |
HOMETiger poachers behind killing of Gir Lions
WPSI's suspicions have proved correct. The accused are traditional tiger poachers from Itarsi and Katni, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This serious new development points to the fact that since tigers are so scarce in the wild, these poachers are now targeting the last remaining population of Asiatic Lions. Gir’s lions are an easy target, since they are comparatively used to people and live in open scrub forest. Their bones are also virtually indistinguishable from those of tigers. There is no market for big cat parts in India, and their poaching and the trade is entirely driven by demand from outside India’s borders, for use in traditional Chinese medicine. So far six lion carcasses have been found in Gir, on 3rd and 30th March this year, all with their bones and claws missing. Evidence was found of steel traps, and the fact that the lions had probably been speared to death. There are fears that at least five other lions are missing from the Babaria Forest Range where the two poaching incidents took place. Gir National Park, the last stronghold of the Asiatic lion, is believed to hold a population of around 360 lions. The Gujarat police contacted WPSI after the case was handed over to the State CID Crime Branch, and our anti-poaching experts have been working closely with the Gujarat police for the past few weeks to crack the case. The dogged diligence with which this lion poaching case has been pursued by the CID, and in particular Inspector General of Police CID, Mr Keshav Kumar, who is heading the investigation, is an example to enforcement agencies anywhere in the world. As the news spreads, there is great jubilation in Gujarat. However the real work to secure the case begins now. Of primary concern is where the traps have been hidden, and where the bones have been taken. WPSI’s legal department is standing by to assist in the prosecution of this important case, and our lawyer will be leaving shortly for Gujarat. Asiatic lions once roamed much of Asia but only about 350 remain, all of them in the Gir National Park in Gujarat state, and the killings over the last two months have raised fears for the future of the species. The state’s top elected official, Chief Minister Narendra Modi, announced a 400 million rupees (US$9 million, euro6.7 million) fund to buy high-end security equipment, including closed-circuit cameras, and increase the number of guards. The state forest department will also conduct DNA tests and keep profiles of the remaining lions for their records. “These initiatives, highly scientific and modern, will be adopted soon and government has agreed to sanction funds for buying these systems at once. This will help us to protect Asiatic lions here better and also all the other animals in the major forests in Gujarat,” said Bharat Pathak, a forest officer. The forest department will also recruit close to 300 volunteers to help patrol the lion sanctuary, Pathak added. State police have so far arrested five men accused of helping poachers kill the lions. |
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