Ranthambore Poaching Scare: DNA Testing Confirms Bones Of 3 Tigers, 1 Leopard As Interstate Gang Under Scanner
An interstate poaching gang's arrest and seizure of big cat bones near Ranthambore Tiger Reserve has raised concerns. DNA testing is underway to determine if the remains belong to missing RTR tigers.
Jaipur, Jul 2 (PTI) Concerns over poaching in Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve have intensified after it was found that three tigers killed by an interstate gang of poachers were likely from RTR.
The development follows a joint operation by Madhya Pradesh's State Tiger Strike Force, Rajasthan Forest Department, and Sawai Madhopur-based NGO Tiger Watch last month that led to the arrest of six poachers, including three from Rajasthan. Over 225 pieces of big cat bones were seized near Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh on June 5, according to an official statement.
Those arrested are Dauji Bheel and Sunita Dauji, residents of Dausa in Rajasthan, and Besta Bheel of Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh with big cat skulls and bones. Madhya Pradesh forest officials picked up Baniram Moghiya and Naresh, both from Shivpuri in the state, and Rajaram Moghiya, a resident of Tonk in Rajasthan.
In an official communication, Madhya Pradesh forest authorities have asked Rajasthan to share DNA profiles from Ranthambore's tiger population to match with the confiscated remains.
"We received the correspondence and a response will be provided after due examination. Our teams are actively pursuing the matter," a senior Rajasthan Forest Department official said.
Ranthambore Field Director Anoop K R, in a report sent to Rajasthan's chief wildlife warden, said, "A few bones have been identified as that of a tiger. As part of further investigation to find out the origin of these bones, the joint team of MP and Rajasthan forest departments is working in coordination." DNA testing in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur confirmed that the seized remains were of three tigers and one leopard. The samples have since been sent to the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, for advanced matching with Ranthambore's tiger database. The report is expected in three weeks, forest officials said.
According to sources, the poaching is suspected to have occurred on Rajasthan's side of the Chambal landscape.
Investigations revealed that a tiger was killed around six months ago and a leopard around Holi, both likely within Rajasthan, the sources said.
Wildlife activist and RTI campaigner Ajay Dubey demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into what he called a "well-organised inter-state and international trafficking network".
"Given that only tigers from Rajasthan are known to use the Kuno-Madhav-Ranthambore corridor, these deaths point to a much bigger poaching racket that must be investigated thoroughly," he said.
Rajasthan Forest Department records show five Ranthambore tigers -- T79, T131, T138, T139, and T2401 -- went missing under suspicious circumstances between June 2022 and May 2024. The missing tigers include two females and three males aged 3-12 years.
Forest officials said if the DNA tests confirm that the seized remains are of Ranthambore's missing tigers, it will not only highlight the vulnerability of big cats straying beyond protected zones but also the urgent need for tighter interstate anti-poaching coordination.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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