Probe into poisoning, burning of wild jumbos in Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal)
Anuraag Singh, The New Indian Express
January 20, 2023
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has sought a report from
the Madhya Pradesh forest department into the alleged poaching and burning
of a wild elephant in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Shahdol district.
Acting on a complaint in the matter by Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay
Dubey, the NTCA wrote on Tuesday to the state forest department’s top brass
and the BTR regional director and sought a detailed factual report in the
matter.
On January 11, Dubey had written to the NTCA alleging poisoning of a wild
elephant and burning of the tusker’s remains in Panpatha buffer zone of BTR
in Shahdol district.
He had attached along with the complaint, the pictures of the elephant,
which was allegedly poached and burnt later. The pictures of the bony
remains believed to be of the same elephant too were enclosed with the
complaint.
Not only Dubey, but also local villagers in the buffer zone of the BTR had
alleged the killing of the elephant and later burning of its remains.
Ravindra Yadav, a resident of Gauri Ghat village, which is located close to
the spot where the wild tusker was allegedly poisoned and burnt, alleged
that the wild elephant was poisoned by an animal poacher Rajendra Yadav in
October 2022.
“The elephant was treated by the BTR staff, but it died later, after which
it was burnt in the same forest area. When we raised the matter with BTR
guards, we were told to stay away from the spot, failing which we would be
held for wildlife crime,” Ravindra said.
While denying any wild elephant poaching in the BTR, the BTR deputy
director Lovit Bharti had said that the bones found from the forest area
had already been sent for forensic analysis to the Wildlife Institute of
India in Dehradun, and anything more on the issue could be said only after
the report of the forensic analysis is received by the tiger reserve.
This newspaper had reported the story on January 15, 2023 The BTR, spread
in Umaria and Shahdol districts of east MP, has been home to 50-odd wild
elephants.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/jan/20/probe-into-poisoning-burning-of-wild-jumbos-inmadhya-pradesh-2539600.html
Probe into poisoning, burning of wild jumbos in Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal)
Anuraag Singh, The New Indian Express
January 20, 2023
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has sought a report from
the Madhya Pradesh forest department into the alleged poaching and burning
of a wild elephant in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Shahdol district.
Acting on a complaint in the matter by Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay
Dubey, the NTCA wrote on Tuesday to the state forest department’s top brass
and the BTR regional director and sought a detailed factual report in the
matter.
On January 11, Dubey had written to the NTCA alleging poisoning of a wild
elephant and burning of the tusker’s remains in Panpatha buffer zone of BTR
in Shahdol district.
He had attached along with the complaint, the pictures of the elephant,
which was allegedly poached and burnt later. The pictures of the bony
remains believed to be of the same elephant too were enclosed with the
complaint.
Not only Dubey, but also local villagers in the buffer zone of the BTR had
alleged the killing of the elephant and later burning of its remains.
Ravindra Yadav, a resident of Gauri Ghat village, which is located close to
the spot where the wild tusker was allegedly poisoned and burnt, alleged
that the wild elephant was poisoned by an animal poacher Rajendra Yadav in
October 2022.
“The elephant was treated by the BTR staff, but it died later, after which
it was burnt in the same forest area. When we raised the matter with BTR
guards, we were told to stay away from the spot, failing which we would be
held for wildlife crime,” Ravindra said.
While denying any wild elephant poaching in the BTR, the BTR deputy
director Lovit Bharti had said that the bones found from the forest area
had already been sent for forensic analysis to the Wildlife Institute of
India in Dehradun, and anything more on the issue could be said only after
the report of the forensic analysis is received by the tiger reserve.
This newspaper had reported the story on January 15, 2023 The BTR, spread
in Umaria and Shahdol districts of east MP, has been home to 50-odd wild
elephants.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/jan/20/probe-into-poisoning-burning-of-wild-jumbos-inmadhya-pradesh-2539600.html