Sound intel key in tiger conservation

The source of recent induced poachings seems to be a few over- enthusiastic conser-vation organisations.

Tiger, our national animal, is threatened by two important factors; poaching and loss of habitat. Poaching of tigers for their body parts such as bones, whiskers, penis, pelt and other parts for the international trade has been a key factor that led to the decline of the species in several parts of the world including in some reserves in India.

Of late, a new threat seems to be raising its head occasionally: “induced poaching”. All over India, there have been induced poaching incidents over the years and the source seems to be surprisingly some over enthusiastic conservation organisations. A recent incidence in the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Karnataka sets the alarm bell once again. Though some argue that the accused is an ‘informant’, two facts provide a different dimension to the incidence.

The accused was earlier supposed to have been involved in a similar case with leopard claws and the forest department had taken a lenient stand previously. Now, the same accused is supposed to have been in possession of fresh tiger bones. This shows that at times, the informants’ self-interest could override his interest of conservation. His enthusiasm to clinch a poacher could have led to the killing of an endangered species.

If that were true, the forest department’s inquiry and investigation would throw true light on this incidence. One hopes that it’s not true. However, this incident has shed cloud over NGO activity that is already reeling under the midst of large-scale suspicion from various quarters. In particular, a few NGOs are always in the limelight, some of it positive (many a times self-promoted) and at other times for negative reasons.

The suspicion over the accused is largely due to the seizure of fresh bones. In most instances, it is rare that wildlife products come into the market immediately after the illegal killing has been carried out. Poachers hide their bounty for a few days, sometimes months, before it is transported out, handed over to the middlemen or brought out to the ‘market’.

Hence, getting a very specific tip-off about an extremely fresh poaching incidence is extremely rare. In addition, the initial confession of the accused seems to point towards induced poaching. If this were proven, it would be extremely sad for the conservation world.

Now, there are other debates on this incident, a one-sided view that the forest department lacks wildlife crime investigation handling capabilities. Though establishing a strong intelligence team within the forest department to handle poaching is the need of the hour, the efforts already put in by forest department personnel in curbing wildlife trade and other activities needs to be acknowledged.

At a local scale, in the last few years, the BRT Tiger Reserve officials have busted many poaching incidents that have resulted in the arrest of several poachers and poaching syndicates – some from the famed north Indian jaw trap poaching groups who have been having deleterious effects on tiger populations. In one such incident, the Bawaria poachers were nabbed with their jaw traps even before tigers were poached.

The officials were able to close the case in a record time with the court sentencing them for three years imprisonment and fine. There are several other such examples from the BRT and other wildlife reserves. The department would not have achieved all of this without a sound intelligence and informant network. This shows that forest officials are capable of handling crime investigations.

Contradictory arguments

There have been contradictory arguments. The forest department claims that they have strong proof that the so-called informant is also part of the poaching incident and that he was investigated in similar cases previously. The NGO led by a senior wildlife biologist with which the informant is associated claims that their informant was helping the department personnel to nab the poachers.

They further claim that the department personnel having missed the opportunity to capture the accused ended up arresting the informant. Though the intention and interest of the NGO was to trap the poachers, the method followed has led to a poaching incident that would perhaps not have existed without the inducement. This is a serious issue and unacceptable either ethically or legally.

Since there are doubts about the credentials of the informant who is being arrested in the current incident, it is better not to take sides right now. Rather than finding fault in the arrest, it is better to wait for the forest department to unearth the truth through the on-going investigation. 

The BRT Tiger Reserve has become a favoured home for our national animal, as the recent reports show that it houses interesting number of tigers.  And this is a reflection to the efforts of the forest department with some help from NGOs. Let this combined effort continue.

Whatever the outcome, this incident has again brought to light the murky world of tiger conservation and in Karnataka, it is being dominated some individuals who go to any extent to deface others including the government while trying to control the species that essentially belongs to the country.

(The writer is a wildlife enthusiast pursuing environment law at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru)