(IN): Tiger skin seized from fisherman' in Kultali

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/Tiger_skin_seized_from_fisherman_in_\

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Tiger skin seized from fisherman' in Kultali 26 Mar 2009, 0506 hrs

 

 

KOLKATA: Poaching has reared its ugly head in the Sunderbans yet again. An

adult tiger's skin was recovered from a fisherman's house at Purba Gurguria

in Kultali, leading to two arrests early on Wednesday.

 

Although the forest department refused to confirm if it was a Sunderbans

tiger skin, some forest guards said the skin looked " fresh " , suggesting that

the tiger had been killed less than two weeks ago. A probe has been started

to identify a poaching racket that is suspected to be involved.

 

Acting on a tip-off from the forest protection committee in Kultali, a team

of foresters led by Raidighi range officer Somnath Sarkar raided Purba

Gurguria early on Wednesday.

 

First, they picked up Subhas Mondol, who had been to the Sunderban Tiger

Reserve (STR) area for fishing last week. The team then raided his neighbour

Subol Mondol's house from where a 195 cm-long tiger skin was recovered. Both

were arrested and produced in Alipur court later.

 

" It seems they are part of a larger gang that operates in the area. They had

entered the area in the guise of fishermen. But we can't say for sure if

they killed a tiger and skinned it. We are going to send the skin to

Hyderabad for a DNA

test<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata_/Tiger_skin_seized_from_fisherma\

n_in_Kultali/articleshow/4316344.cms#>to

confirm if it is a Sunderbans tiger, " said Subhendu Bandyopadhyay,

DFO,

South 24-Parganas.

 

Conservationists and wild life experts said the incident yet again pointed

to the fact that poaching hasn't been rooted out from the Sunderbans. " This

shows that stricter vigil is needed. Two detected cases in less than six

months is alarming. Poaching has never been rampant in the Sunderbans but

that doesn't mean foresters can drop their guard, " said Pranabesh Sanyal,

former field director of Sunderban Tiger Reserve. Last October, a tiger

carcass was found floating in the Nobanki river. It led to a CBI enquiry and

transfer of several senior officials in the department.

 

" Encroachment and shrinking prey base have always made it difficult for the

tigers in Sunderbans. Poaching has never been a big threat but this shows it

has been happening. Frequent poaching will surely be the last nail in the

coffin for them, " said conservationist Belinda Wright.

 

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