Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh): The High Court of Chhattisgarh has taken suo motu notice and demanded a response from authorities regarding the recent killing of a tiger by poisoning in the Korea Forest Division.
Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha has asked that the case be merged with an existing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on similar matters. Following the tiger’s death, Forest Department officials have been questioning residents within a two-kilometre radius of the incident site.
The tiger's body, discovered last Friday by villagers near the Guru Ghasidas Tiger Reserve, was estimated to be two to three days old. A subsequent post-mortem report confirmed that poisoning was the cause of death.
During a hearing, the division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice AK Prasad reviewed the matter. Chief Justice Sinha, expressing frustration, issued a notice to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, demanding a detailed affidavit. He emphasized the alarming decline in tiger numbers, noting, “If we cannot protect our forests and wildlife, there will be little left for future generations”.
Investigators suspect that the tiger might have been poisoned in retaliation for hunting cattle in the area. It’s believed that someone mixed poison into the remains of the cattle carcass. A dog squad from Gomarda Sanctuary has been assisting in the investigation, and Forest Department officers have detained several individuals for questioning.
The incident marks the second tiger death in Chhattisgarh under similar circumstances, underscoring concerns over wildlife protection in the region.
Tiger population is on decline
The state which boasts of increasing monitoring of tiger populations, anti-poaching measures, and community awareness programs and has three national tiger reserves and got approval for fourth tiger reserve Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, the third largest in India. Wild animal lovers alleged that due to non-seriousness of the ruling government and apathy from the top most Forest Officers especially IFS offers, the tiger population is under decline. In 2014, Chhattisgarh had 46 tigers, but by 2022, the population had dropped to 17. Tiger lovers worried the actual figure of tiger population might be less than ten.
