Tiger found dead outside Pench National Park

Forest officials admitted that figures reported so far were not always correct. Either they were based on pug marks or were fudged to keep the count same as reported in the last census. However, the new line transact technique ‘developed by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, will be used for the first time and could be more credible. Last year poachers killed one tiger inside the PNP and skinned another tiger that was electrocuted outside the park. They were arrested before they could sell the skin of the full-grown tiger.

In the latest incident, a carcass of a male tiger was found buried under grass and earth in Bichhua beat of South Kurai range, a few km outside the PNP.

The killers claimed they hid the body because they were scared. A tip from a villager led the authorities to the killers.

Authorities admitted at least two tigers were killed in the last two years, outside the Bandhavgarh National Park in similar fashion but have ruled out that any organised gang was at work. These incidents bring to the fore how overhead wires are being misused to kill wild animals. All it takes is a few wooden pegs, GI wires and a hook to hang it from the overhead electricity wire. The death is instant as the power comes from 11 KV line.

Conservator of forests, Seoni, V N Pandey said it was difficult to prevent electrocution because poachers lay the trap in the night and remove them by dawn to avoid detection. He said the deaths have come as a warning to the authorities. Wildlife Protection Society of India had submitted a proposal to the Central Empowered Committee to replace the existing power line with bunch cables to eliminate the threat of electrocution. But this method was found expensive. The other two options were either to lay underground wires or insulate the existing line but none of the options have been considered so far.

Elephant electrocuted in Kanha

Shivaji, a 30-year-old elephant was electrocuted inside the Kanha National Park when it came in contact with an 11 KV power line. The elephant is believed to have raised its trunk which touched the Kisli-Kanha power line. The elephant was found dead yesterday, the previous night it was set free in the park for grazing. PCCF (wildlife) P B Gangopadhyay said the line was found undulating at various points and instead of 6.5 meters it was as low as 4 to 4.5 meters at some stretches, one of which the tusker touched. Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board has been told to raise the height of poles, he said. —ENS