PM’s role sought to check tiger poaching

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PM's role sought to check tiger poaching

By A Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 3 – A frontline conservation group of Asom, Early

Birds, yesterday sent a detailed communiqué to the Prime Minister

informing him about the threats to the tiger population, its

habitat, and its prey-base, and seeking positive intervention.

 

Besides, Early Birds demanded that a high-level enquiry be

instituted to look into poaching in Asom, which would lead towards

cracking the nexus between poachers-traders so that the region's

rich and rare biodiversity could be protected.

 

The letter referred to newspaper reports on the killing of a Royal

Bengal Tiger by poachers in the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary and

highlighted how the endangered species was confronting a bleak

future in parts of the State.

 

It was mentioned that encroachers killed two Royal Bengal tigers at

the Orang WLS's in May last year by poisoning a carcass, which they

subsequently consumed. Illegal acts going on inside several other

protected areas were also stated in the dispatch. Significantly, in

most cases the perpetrators of the crimes were never identified or

prosecuted. This appeared as a tacit approval for poachers to carry

on with their nefarious activities.

 

Early Birds president Moloy Boruah told The Assam Tribune that his

organisation was worried over the future of tigers and therefore

wanted the Prime Minister to intervene in protecting the dwindling

number of tigers. " Not just the threats to the tigers, their habitat

and prey-base also require stricter protection. "

 

The letter to the Prime Minister alluded to some other related

subjects, including the inadequate protection of the Amchang

Wildlife Sanctuary and the problems faced by the State's elephant

population, which especially was at the receiving end of a conflict

with human beings.