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Journalism of Courage
A forest guard, a forest ranger assistant, and six forest staff members have been arrested for allegedly burning the carcass of a tiger in a bid to hide the animal’s death at Lalbarra range in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district.
The incident came under the spotlight after a senior Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer received pictures of the burnt carcass on their phone. Preliminary investigation found that the accused tried to “secretly destroy” the tiger’s dead body without telling their seniors.
Why is it important to report the discovery of a tiger carcass? How is a tiger carcass examined? What samples do officials take from the spot? Here is a look.
Why is it necessary to report the discovery of a tiger carcass?
This is important as it allows officials to conduct a forensic investigation of the tiger carcass. The examination helps determine if the animal’s death took place due to natural causes or criminal activities, such as poaching and illicit logging.
J S Chauhan, the former Madhya Pradesh principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), told The Indian Express, “It’s vital to inform the senior officials so that a forensic examination is conducted to see if it was a case of poaching. If the cause of death is found to be unnatural, it is treated as a case of poaching, especially when the carcass is of a protected animal such as a tiger.” This helps authorities take the required steps to curb, if any, incidents of poaching.
A forensic investigation of the carcass also allows authorities to ascertain if an infection has killed a tiger. This is crucial to limit the number of deaths in case there is an outbreak of a disease.
Officials check if the death has been caused due to territorial fighting among tigers. Such efforts help conserve the tiger population.
What happens after the discovery of a tiger carcass?
The main responsibility for managing the spot lies with the divisional forest officer, the range officer, and the assistant conservator of the forest.
The field staff have to immediately inform their field director and call for an investigation team to reach the spot. In case of seizures and arrests, at least two independent witnesses are also expected to be roped in.
How does the investigative team work at the spot?
The spot is cordoned off with a tape or a rope. Officials take the area’s pictures and videos from different angles for comparison. The area is also divided into grids to collect evidence and details such as animal/human/tyre marks of vehicles.
The investigation team notes the time and date of the carcass’s discovery, and the GPS location of the spot.
If preliminary evidence points to fighting between animals, then wildlife officials examine the area to look for a trail of animals.
However, if there is a suspicion of poaching, the investigation team looks for external evidence from the carcass, like wounds, bullet injury/marks, and symptoms of poisoning.
National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA’s) standard operating procedure on handling tiger carcasses says, “In many cases, it is seen that the animal moves some distance after it is hit by the bullet or it has consumed poison. It is also common that the poachers remove the carcass to a nearby place for the sake of convenience in de-skinning the animal.”
What are the samples collected from the spot?
As per the NTCA guidelines, investigators should collect blood samples, body fluids, tissues, and hair/fur/teeth/bone pieces, among others.
Other items — such as gun powder, cloth fibre, paint chips, cartridge case, bullets, footprints, etc. — found at the sport should also be collected.
Samples are put in separate transparent polythene bags, and they should be properly labelled with exhibit numbers and descriptions.
What are some of the precautions taken during postmortem?
Chauhan said the post mortem should ideally be conducted “near the site of discovery, and vital samples of visceral content and tissue be collected for examination at a later stage”.
“You have to conduct the postmortem in daylight in the presence of representatives from the NTCA, the chief wildlife warden, and a local NGO. All stakeholders are invited for more transparency in the process,” Chauhan said.
If the postmortem team is not available, the carcass is stored inside a deep fridge. The final postmortem report is sent to the chief wildlife warden and NTCA.
How do officials dispose of the carcass?
The carcass is incinerated in the presence of a field director or any authorised officer not below the rank of deputy conservator of forests.
While incinerating the carcass, the sequence must be photographed and video recorded. Before leaving the site, it must be ensured that the whole carcass, including bones, is fully burnt. After ensuring the complete incineration of the carcass, a ‘panchnama’ (memo) is prepared and signed by the post-mortem team and the officer in-charge.
If any body parts have been seized, they are treated as evidence and not disposed of till the completion of the trial.
