#SaveTigressAvni, roar animal lovers in Hyderabad, protesting Maha govt’s shoot-to-kill order

Emotions ran high as animal lovers from all walks of life gathered at Dog’s Park in

Necklace Road

on Sunday to protest Maharashtra government’s order to hunt down Avni, a tigress, and her two cubs in the Pandharkawada Forest Range.
This demonstration came in the wake of nationwide protests and an online campaign ‘Save Avni’, that has garnered 54,000 digital signatures so far. According to Maharashtra Forest Department, Avni, also referred to as T1, has killed 13 people over the last one-and-a-half years. Activists, however, are not buying it and allege that it is a story that has been cooked up by people with vested interests, and that there is a political and industrial nexus behind it.
“The alleged killings in Pandharkawada started only when the state government of Maharashtra diverted 465 hectares of forest land to set up a cement plant. Also, the first shoot-to-kill order was issued a few days
after forest land was officially diverted. Avni has been made a scapegoat because of a project which involves forest land grabbing. Unless we raise a voice for the voiceless, our doomsday will come soon too,” says N Kavitha Bhat, an endocrinologist, who took part in the protest.
In September, the Supreme Court refused to restrain the Forest Department from killing the tigress if it needed to, and soon after the SC’s ruling, attempts to hunt down Avni gathered pace. Activists
however, state that seven of Avni’s alleged 13 killings are a result of uncontrolled cattle grazing. They further claim that the tigress’ DNA was present in only one of the victim's body, out of the three that were taken for DNA testing. The Maharashtra government's decision to involve private hunters to kill Avni and her family has sparked tremendous outrage.
“Hyderabad-based Shafat Ali Khan has been hired to hunt down Avni. He is a hobby hunter who pays to hunt animals in Africa, and we are offering him money to kill a tiger here. How ridiculous is this?” fumes Satish Reddy, a volunteer at the protest.
“Tiger is our national animal and it must be celebrated. We shouldn’t enter into its territory. In the worst case scenario, we should relocate the animal. Killing it cannot be an option,” he adds.
The protesters, who had gathered in numbers to protest, also raised slogans demanding that the government put a stop to other illegal activities such as grazing of livestock, encroachment, illegal expansions and construction in Pandharkawada Forest Range.



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