When are we going to learn????

We are aware that our national animal is under serious threat to its very existence due to rampant poaching. But how many of us know that the real threat to the magnificent wild cat called Tiger, our national animal, faces even more threat from those who are supposed to protect it?
Yes. Tiger faces equal threat from the forest department, across all the states. The forest department is indirectly responsible in pushing the big cat close to danger at equal pace that of the poachers. The biggest example is killing of a full grown male tiger by police on the orders of forest department on November 30 last year near Talodhi in Chandrapur district.
The tiger that was eventually shot down was credited with 23 human kills in as many months. Local villagers and political leaders virtually held the forest department for ransom to kill the wild cat. Every one blamed the tiger for human kills, which according to the wild cat was nothing but defending its prey. Rampant poaching and habitat destruction in the region has left the tiger with no choice but to resort to cattle kill and humans got killed when they tried to snatch the cattle from the tiger’s claws and the wild cat tried to protect its prey.
The first human kill was reported from the area in January 2006 and after that it became almost monthly event in Brahmapuri division of Chandrapur district. People and politicians even proclaimed the tiger to be man-eater, despite the fact it never ate any human being after killing. They unanimously wanted it to be killed at any cost and eventually succeeded. But no one gave a thought to the reason of such behaviour of otherwise illusive animal. People continued to kill herbivorous animals in the area and cut trees as per their wishes and whims. People in the area could get desired quantity of wild boar and peacock meat on demand and the wild cat, who had a legitimate right on it, was being starved. And the forest department officials responsible to check such activities had turned a blind eye to rampant poaching and tree cutting in the area.
Bogged down by ever mounting pressure from public and politicians, finally the department got a tiger shot dead. The nation lost one full grown magnificent male tiger on November 30, 2007, this time to the bullets fired by the orders of none other than the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). Forest department officials had a sigh of relief and claimed that the problem animal was killed and people in the area could live happily again. But the worst fears expressed by environmentalists came true in just six days after the animal was killed. The wild cat struck again on December 6, and killed a 22-year-old youth. Ironically, the forest department officials ignored caution bells rang by environmentalists and refused to do anything to revive prey base in the area, which is an ideal tiger habitat.
Unfortunately, the human kills have not stopped even after ‘killing the man-eater of Brahmapuri’. After the tiger was killed, the territory has now been occupied by another tiger and human kills still continues. And the wild cat has claimed nine lives since taking the total to 37 human kills in 31 months. The counting is not yet stopped and the number is bound to go up in days to come. Proper wildlife management in the area holds the key to solution and unless it is done, the man-animal conflict will continue and the forest department will shoot even more tigers. Who knows?

Prerna, I don’t have the dates of human kills before December 2007. Here is the record I have.
December 6, 2007 – Tanaji Raut, a resident of Navtala was killed when he had gone to graze cattle at Madnagarh in Chimur Range.
January 10, 2008 - The incident took place at compartment number 301, Kolsa Range of TATR. The deceased has been identified as Jhingaji Kulmethe, 65, a resident of village Doni. He had gone to cut fire wood in the nullah.
January 29, 2008 - Janabai Kashinath Gurnule, 60, a resident of village Kawadpeth was killed when she had gone to answer nature’s call. This is the third human kill in the area during last month.
March 24, 2008 - Kashinath Suryavanshi, 45, a resident of village Jhankapur had gone to forest along with six other people from the village to collect Mahua leaves.
May 29, 2008 - Monali Baban Neware, 9 and Sitabai Dadaji Gedam, 50, both residents of village Kitadi Bormara. The incident took place at around 8 am on Wednesday at compartment number 29 of reserved forest in Nagbhid range of Brahmapuri division.
June 19, 2008 - Dhrupada Kumre, 51, a resident of Sonoli. Dhrupada had gone to the forest adjoining the village to collect mahua seeds when the tiger attacked her.
July 26, 2008 - Ramesh Ichkape and Rajeshwar Kumre, both from Jankapur village in Nagbhid taluka of Chandrapur district. The duo was killed while grazing cattle in the forest.