MYSURU: Karnataka’s forest officials stand accused of violating the guidelines of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) by allegedly driving an injured tiger into Kerala’s forest range, without giving it any medical care.
The incident, which occurred at Gandettur village in HD Kote taluk under Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR), came to light recently.
On May 6, 2023, the tiger attacked Gopala Gowda, a resident of Gandettur village. Enraged by this, the villagers threw stones at the tiger. This incident went viral on social media.
Following the attack, a trap was laid and on July 12, 2023, the tiger was captured in a field owned by Kalegowda of Gandettur village.
However, information obtained by The New Indian Express suggests that the forest officials neglected the injured tiger.
Injured tiger: Villagers demand action against forest officials
Forest officials neither provided any treatment to it nor followed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlined by NTCA. The aged tiger had wounds on its neck and leg. Instead of taking the tiger to a rehabilitation centre and treating it, the forest officials allegedly drove it into Kerala’s range in violation of NTCA guidelines.
This alleged act of the forest officials was brought to light by social activist Kabini Shivalinga. TNIE has a photo with GPS coordinates indicating that the tiger was trapped at Gandettur at 11:30pm. By 2:30am the next day, the injured tiger was released close to the state’s border and driven into the Kerala range in Sulthan Bathery taluk of Wayanad district, according to GPS coordinates.
In an audio clip obtained by TNIE, Range Forest Officer Amrutesh is heard admitting to capturing the injured tiger. However, he claims to have received instructions from his higher-ups to drive the tiger into Kerala’s forest range. Amrutesh is also heard expressing confidence that he will be protected by his senior officers in this case. Chief wildlife veterinarian and forensic expert Dr Prayag HS, who is now with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, Bengaluru, and has NTCA accreditation, said the NTCA guidelines and SOPs prohibit releasing an injured or incapacitated tiger into the wild.
According to protocol, such tigers should be sent to a recognised zoo or rehabilitation centre. Moreover, if it is driven towards the forests of a neighboring state, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests should be informed.
People living on the Karnataka-Kerala border alleged that the forest officials wanted to avoid the complexities of rehabilitation and drove the injured tiger into the neighbouring state’s forest.
They urged the NTCA to take cognisance of the lapses and initiate action. Meanwhile, Bandipur Tiger Reserve Field Director P Ramesh Kumar vehemently denied the allegation of intentionally driving the injured tiger into Kerala’s range. Dismissing the allegation as baseless, Kumar said, “Visible scars or scratches on a tiger do not necessarily indicate injuries. We decide on relocation based on veterinarians’ advice.”