GUWAHATI: Gory pictures of a slain Royal Bengal Tiger that went viral on the social media made the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to sit up and take note of it.
The big cat, which apparently strayed out of Assam, was reportedly hunted by villagers on Manipur-Nagaland border. After killing the animal, they had feasted on its meat.
This is the first incident of killing of a Royal Bengal Tiger in Manipur where there were no official records of its presence. The animal has its habitat in three States of the Northeast including Assam, Arunachal and Mizoram. Their number in the region is estimated at around 200.
Last year, the locals in Nagaland’s Medziphema had gunned down a Royal Bengal Tiger. Later, forest officials retrieved the carcass but not without facing resistance from the locals who wanted to keep it as a mark of their chivalry.
The NTCA said the photographs going viral on Facebook and WhatsApp would be examined for follow up actions.
“We are trying to find out who had uploaded the photos of the animal and who killed it. The matter has been already taken up by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. The cyber cell of the appropriate authorities will first examine whether this is a recent killing. We will go hard at those who killed it,” NTCA inspector general PD Bankhwal told the New Indian Express.
“Uploading such photos is not a crime but there is a possibility that the persons who did so were among the hunters. We will know more about it once we can zero in on the individuals,” he said.
Bankhwal suspected that the tiger might have strayed out of Assam.
“It possibly strayed out of Kaziranga National Park or Nameri Tiger Reserve, went to Karbi Anglong and from there to Nagaland and Manipur. When tigers stray out and cover such a long distance, usually they never return. Tigers are elusive animals and as such, it is very difficult to keep tab on them,” he said.