JAIPUR: Are tigers in Rajasthan’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve the latest targets of an international poaching network? That's the disturbing question creating buzz among wildlife lovers.
It comes following the shocking revelations after the arrest of a poaching gang in Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, during a joint operation by the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force, the Rajasthan Forest Department, and Sawai Madhopur-based NGO Tiger Watch last month.
Among those arrested were Dauji Bhil and Sunita Dauji, residents of Dausa in Rajasthan, and Besta Bhil, a resident of Sheopur. The forest team recovered around 225 big cat bones, including skulls resembling those of tigers, from the possession of the accused.
The seized remains were sent to Jabalpur for forensic analysis, which confirmed that they belonged to at least three tigers and a panther. The samples have now been forwarded to the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bengaluru for DNA matching to determine the origin of the animals.
Madhya Pradesh forest officials have formally requested the Rajasthan Forest Department to share DNA profiles of tigers from Ranthambore to assist in the matching process.
Ranthambore Field Director Anoop K. R., in a report to the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, noted: “A few bones have been identified as that of a tiger. As part of further investigation to determine their origin, the joint team of MP and Rajasthan forest departments is working in close coordination.”
Due to its proximity to Sheopur, Ranthambore is the most likely source of the poached tigers. In contrast, Madhavgarh Tiger Reserve lies over 100 km away, and Panna Tiger Reserve is approximately 300 km from Sheopur.
According to official records, five tigers from Ranthambore — T79, T131, T138, T139, and T2401 — have gone missing under suspicious circumstances between June 2022 and May 2024. The missing animals include two females and three males, aged between 3 and 12 years. Sources also claim that during interrogation, the accused confessed to having killed five tigers from Ranthambore between 2002 and 2004.
Officials suspect the gang as a part of a wider international poaching network with links to other tiger reserves across India and to countries such as Nepal and Myanmar.
It is also believed that the group received payments via digital channels and hawala networks in exchange for killing tigers.
The DNA matching process at NCBS is expected to take a few weeks. Once complete, it could conclusively establish whether Ranthambore’s missing tigers fell victims to poachers -- a finding that may have significant implications for wildlife protection efforts in the region.