Tigress poisoned in Bandhavgarh

TALA (BANDHAVGARH): All is not well with Bandhavgarh National Park. Just five months after a big cat was killed in a car crash right inside the park, a tigress was allegedly poisoned by local villagers and a male tiger was found with severe injury, apparently following a territory fight.Around two weeks ago, a tigress, known asAamnullahwali Sherni, was allegedly poisoned by a resident of Malagaon — avillage bordering the reserve — after it killed one of his goats.According to forest officials, the animal had killed and eaten a portion of thegoat and left the rest near a bush to have it later. The villager, Rewa Burman,found the carcass and allegedly laced it with poison, knowing that the tigresswould return to her kill. After a few hours, a forest patrol found theunconscious tigress in the Kathli beat of Tala range. Senior officers, includingforest department veterinarian Nitin Gupta, rushed to the spot. The tigress wasadministered an injection and soon it regained consciousness. “It’snow doing quite fine,” said range officer (tourism) S CPandey.“Initially we had thought that the animal was ill. Butthen our vet examined it and decided that the tigress had been poisoned. It hadvomited copiously and maybe we could save it because of that only,” Pandeyadded. The vomit samples have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Sagar,Madhya Pradesh. The reports, however, are yet to reach Bandhavgarh, said therange officer.Burman, meanwhile, has been languishing behind bars— in judicial custody. “It’s the forest department which hasprosecuted him and the charges under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act arenon-bailable,” said V C Verma, superintendent of police, Umariadistrict.A section of villagers, however, claim that Burman is ajust a scapegoat. “The tigress got caught in the wire fencing put up bythe forest department while trying to enter the village. The forest officialsare trying to cover it up and showing it as a case of poisoning,” said avillager, refusing to reveal his identity.The range officer,however, rejected the claim. “There was no injury mark on the tigress,which was lying unconscious. Its front legs had been tied up with a rope beforeit was administered the injection. And just a few minutes after the antidote wasinjected, the animal gained such strength that it snapped the rope and jumpedaway,” said Pandey, who incidentally was not on the spot.Whatkind of poison do the villagers use to kill the big cats? And what drugs areused to treat a poisoned tiger? The range officer is not aware. “Dr Guptawould be able to tell you,” he says. But unfortunately, Gupta could not becontacted.Wildlife painter Mahesh Jangam, who hails fromRajasthan’s Ranthambore and runs an art school in Bandhavgarh, seemsbetter-informed. “Generally, the villagers use a strong pesticide calledAldrin to kill the tigers. It’s the same poison that had been used to killtwo cubs in Ranthambore in March this year,” hesays.Meanwhile, a male tiger has been found in Tala range with afour-inch wound on its neck. The tiger, identified as 13-year-old B2, is underobservation. “But it could not be treated so far,” says a forestofficial. The department came to know about the injury on October 29.“Later, trackers on elephant managed to spot it, but every time, the tigermanaged to run away. And the wound is difficult to heal since it’s on theneck and the animal cannot lick it,” the official added. “It wasprobably injured in a territory fight with some other male tiger,” said aforest guide.