CHENNAI: A dispute over whether a big cat carcass burnt nearly five days ago in Germalam village in Hasanur forest division of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) was that of a tiger or a leopard has emerged after Karnataka arrested three men with suspected tiger parts in a separate wildlife trafficking case in the last couple of days. It remains unclear if the animal was poached or it died of natural causes.
The Special Tiger Force (STF) of Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve and forest officials from the Gopalaswamy Hill Range arrested three men — Mahadeva, Ramesh, and Mani — for allegedly attempting to sell four tiger teeth, two molars, and a claw near a lake at Haradanahalli village in Chamarajanagar district. The forest officials are also on the lookout for three other suspects in connection with the incident.
During interrogation, the suspects allegedly provided leads about the source of the animal parts. Subsequently, Karnataka officials linked the case to the burning of an alleged carcass in Germalam, within the eco-sensitive zone of STR.
However, the Tamil Nadu forest department has a different assessment. K Rajkumar, Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, said the carcass burnt in Germalam was, prima facie, that of a leopard and not a tiger.
He added that forest officials had recovered a claw, canine, and bone from the site. The small size of the canine, he said, indicated that it was unlikely to be from a tiger. The recovered bone and other materials have been sent for forensic and morphometric examination, he said.
Rajkumar also said the Tamil Nadu officials, in the last few days, arrested and remanded a tribal man from Germalam in connection with the case. According to the official, the suspect allegedly attempted to sell the leopard parts through a relative in Karnataka, who in turn attempted to sell them to another person. “He tried to get a premium price by saying it was a tiger,” Rajkumar said, referring to the possibility of people misrepresenting animal parts to obtain a higher price.
The TN official said Karnataka shared information about its arrests and that the person arrested by Tamil Nadu was connected to the same chain. Tamil Nadu has registered cases relating to the possession of wildlife parts and disposal of the carcass and removal of its materials.
The two states are now attempting to establish whether the materials recovered in Karnataka and those from Germalam belonged to the same animal. Rajkumar said TN would obtain samples from Karnataka through the court and send them for comparison.
Karnataka, meanwhile, has maintained that the recovered parts are tiger parts. The Karnataka investigation has not conclusively established the origin of the seized parts.
Karnataka forest officials have added that further arrests are necessary before the source can be confirmed.
