(IN): High alert sounded in KNP over tiger deaths

February 6, 2009

High alert sounded in KNP over tiger deaths

Spl Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Feb 5 – Kaziranga National Park (KNP) along with tiger reserves

in 17 States has been placed under high alert following death of over 10

tigers in the last three months. The alert has been sounded by the National

Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) following intelligence inputs that

organised poachers were on the prowl for fresh hunt. " We have asked the

tiger range States to be on their toes to ensure that poachers do not kill

animals, " member secretary NTCA, Rajesh Gopal told newsmen.

Wandering gangs are targeting the big cats in tiger reserves, particularly

in the North-east and Central India, he added.

In view of serious threats to tiger reserves in Assam, Madhya Pradesh and

Uttar Pradesh, separate alerts have been sent to these States to tighten

security, Gopal said.

In the past three months, eight tigers were killed or found dead in

Kaziranga. In Kanha National Park also, four to five tigers are believed to

have been killed in the past one year.

Early this year, a tiger skin was found in the Corbett National Park in

Uttarakhand.

Currently, an estimated 1,400 tigers are left in the country according to

the recent census conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

" We have also passed on intelligence and information to the States about the

poachers and have asked them to take steps to be vigilant, " Gopal said.

KNP, which has been included under the Project Tiger and identified as one

of the key centres for protection of tigers, used to have a highest density

of tigers at 16.8 tigers per hundred square km with a total of 85 tigers in

430 square km.

However, KNP has been facing the brunt of poacher attacks lately. The year

2007 has emerged as the black year for the Park, with poachers leaving at

least 20 one-horned rhinos dead. Earlier, on an average, about four to eight

rhinos used to get killed each year.

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