Representative image of tiger cubs.
Credit: iStock
A video showing a few people carrying and filming three tiger cubs in the headlights of a vehicle inside the BRT Tiger Reserve has sparked outrage among wildlife activists, who have demanded an investigation.
Activist Dinesh Kallahalli, in a complaint to the Forest Department, alleged that the video shows three men from a private estate in Punajanur handling cubs barely 10 days old. The clip was reportedly shared on a WhatsApp group by a person linked to an NGO.
Kallahalli said the incident raises doubts about the mother’s safety, noting that tigresses rarely leave cubs that young. He also alleged that efforts were made to delete the video. He also pointed to a previous case against a person associated with “Wild Cane” for possessing tiger parts.
He added that such illegal activities could be linked to the decline in tiger numbers in BRT — from 52 in 2014 to 37 in 2022.
BRT Tiger Reserve Director Sripathi BS could not be reached for comment.