BENGALURU: If wildlife activists and experts call for a re-look on the shootout of Avni — the tigress (T1) which is alleged to have killed 13 people — forest officials say all standard operating procedures (SOP) were followed as per National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. However, activists decry hiring of professional hunters and shooters for this operation while veterinary experts call for more scientific studies before declaring a tiger as a man-eater.
In the aftermath of this incident, activists say the NTCA should include in its SOP that if a tiger is to be declared a man-eater, there should be proper scientific studies and monitoring of tiger activity and behaviour through usage of all scientific and technical tools.
Further, forest department should not avail the services of known private hunters or professionals who are in the business of killing animals.Wildlife activist G Veeresh adds, “These so called sharp shooters or hunters regularly go to Africa and hunt animals by paying money to the African government while in India, they use higher officials to obtain permission for hunting a mother with two cubs.”
Senior Wildlife veterinarian and PhD Research Scholar Dr H S Prayag working on big carnivores in selected sites of India, was part of the capture operation of T1 from December 12, 2017 to January 7, 2018. He adds, “T1 is not a man-eater, unless proven scientifically with concrete and substantial evidence. However, it can be termed as a problem tiger since its straying into human dominated landscape and should be dealt as per NTCA SOP issued for the same. The tigress should have been immobilised and removed to a holding area, away from human beings. I believe the nearest such facility exists in the Pench Tiger Reserve or can be created within the state for future use. As a researcher, I am committed to saving “big cats species as such in conflict” in broader perspective of species conservation rather than an individual. However, I am totally against the appointment of Shafat Ali Khan and team, who had no veterinarian in his team.”
Meanwhile, supporting the operations carried out by Maharashtra, Karnataka PCCF Punati Sridhar said, “Looking at the ground realities, the department needed a professional hunter as tigers are very fast. There is no field experience to know how a tiger behaves. With Avni roaming around a mosaic of villages, humans were the easiest prey to kill.”
The PCCF added, “Usually, a man-eater will charge on anyone and in such a situation, only a sharp shooter can deal in such a conflict situation. Being on the ground, close to the tigress and in an open jeep, it is tough to tranquilise it. Out of 13 cases, five human deaths by Avni have been confirmed and verified scientifically. A very competent department does not give scope for a man-eater to remain on ground in the long term interest of conservation and tiger protection.”