(IN-NP-CN) Wildlife sleuths find China link thriving

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/139-tigers-kille\

d-in-India-since-2006-Minister-/articleshow/5264956.cms

 

139 tigers killed in India since 2006: Minister

IANS 24 November 2009, 07:43pm IST

 

NEW DELHI: As many as 139 tigers have been killed in India's forests since 2006,

minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said on

 

Tuesday. The latest estimate of tigers in the wild in India is a critically low

1,411.

 

In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Ramesh informed the upper house of

parliament that 22 tigers were killed in 2006, 30 in 2007, 28 in 2008 and 59 by

Nov 13 this year.

 

The minister said Rs.154.59 crore ($33 million) had been released by the Indian

government this fiscal in efforts to protect the tiger.

 

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The Times of India November 25, 2009

 

Wildlife sleuths find China link thriving

 

Animal Parts Smuggled Using Nepal Border

 

Rahul Tripathi | TNN

 

New Delhi: A probe into illegal wildlife trade after some poachers and their

associates were nabbed recently has revealed they were involved in an

international racket and smuggled animal parts to various countries, including

China.

CBI recently arrested a poacher, Keru (30), who allegedly supplied two tiger

skins to a group of seven people, reportedly led by Tashi Tshering. The seven

were nabbed in Delhi and Nagpur in the first week of November.

Keru was arrested from Ballarshah in Maharastra. Sleuths said Keru, a member

of Banwariya tribe, was involved in several cases of poaching. He was arrested

in Mysore in 2002 and was convicted for two years. But after coming out of jail,

he again started dealing in illegal wildlife trade.

CBI officials said Keru sold two tiger skins to Tshering, the main supplier

of tiger skins and bones to China, Tibet and western countries.

Tshering’s interrogation revealed the animal parts were first sent to Nepal

using land routes and from there smuggled into China and Tibet, where

pharmaceuticals companies used tiger bones for manufacturing aphrodisiac

medicines.

“A spotless tiger skin was sold for Rs 10 lakh,” said a senior CBI official.

He added that a poacher is paid between Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh for one skin.

Based on information from the seven, the officers arrested another notorious

poacher, Bheema, near Badarpur on Tuesday. “Bheema was also

supplying tiger skin and body parts to Tshering. Currently, he is in custody of

Gurgaon Police and we will soon approach them, seeking his custodial

interrogation,” added an officer.

CBI arrested five persons on November 5. They were carrying two tiger skins

and bones concealed in a cloth consignment from Nagpur. Sources said Sadhu

Baderia, Ranjit Mangatram, Ramswaroop, Jogaram Charandas and Amit Singh were

hiding in a tent near the Ballarshah railway station. Two tiger skins, about 39

kilograms of tiger bones and other body parts were seized from them, said a CBI

official. Charandas and Amit were agents of Tshering. They were carrying Rs 1.5

lakh cash to buy animal parts, said officers.

Among the two skins that were seized, one was about seven feet in length.

Experts said it came from a tigress. Another skin was over five feet in length.

The police, on the instance of Tshering, also seized two leopard skins, seven

otter skins and red sandalwood.

“We have identified few international buyers and are trying catch them. The

tigress whose skin was seized from poachers was killed on October 21. The

accused had put anti-odour powder on animal parts to conceal foul smell,” added

the officer.

A wildlife expert said that the arrests would curb tiger poaching. Explaining

the method of poaching, the expert said, “A good poacher always uses iron trap

as bullet mark reduces the price of the skin. Kalya Bawaria, who was arrested in

September 2005, was one of the notorious poachers who used to poach tigers using

iron trap at Sariska Tiger Reserve.”

 

 

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Thank you for your compassion !

With best regards,

Debasis Chakrabarti

Compassionate Crusaders Trust

http://www.animalcrusaders.org