MYSURU: Former member of the State Board for Wildlife and United Conservation Movement Trustee, Joseph Hoover urged chief minister Siddaramaiah to order an investigation into the alleged burying of carcasses of a snared tiger and a hacked leopard in Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
He told media persons in Gundlupet on Friday that based on the statements made by forest watchers, he had alerted the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) about Moleyur RFO Puttaraju covertly burying the carcasses.
“The incidents happened in 2018 and 2019. Considering the fact that the range forest officer had not reported the deaths of the tiger and leopard to seniors, we wrote to the Karnataka Forest Department, demanding an investigation. We gave details of those involved in the burial. The head and paws of the leopard were reportedly taken away by the poachers,” he said.
Hoover said the temporary forest watchers, who were witness to the incident in the tiger reserve, were sacked by the RFO as word spread about the tiger and leopard deaths. “Despite frequent approaches, the Forest Department did not probe.
Then, we wrote a letter to then CM Basavaraj Bommai, who on November 23 directed the Additional Chief Secretary for Forest, Environment and Ecology to look into the allegations by forest watchers. But there has been no communication from the authorities. We request that the government subject RFO Puttaraju to a narco analysis test. All the staff must be questioned. We request CM Siddaramaiah and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre to order a probe,” he said.