'Tiger death was caused by poaching'

TO Abraham, TNN | Nov 24, 2011, 01.48AM IST YAVATMAL: It's official now. Harishchandra Kamble, assistant conservator of forests of Pandharkawda, confirmed on Tuesday that the death of the tiger on Sunday in Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary in Yavatmal district was the result of poaching. Although offences have been registered against the as yet unidentified poachers, no arrests have been made. The three to four year old male tiger got strangulated in an iron mesh set up by the poachers on Sunday and it was noticed by passersby in the evening. A report was made to the concerned forest officials who rushed to the incident site and conducted the post mortem. Though the post mortem report is available with the forest officials at Pandharkawda, they are appeared to be reluctant to disclose the cause of the death of the tiger. Chief conservator of forests Devendra Kumar said that he received the post mortem report which confirms that the cause of the death of the tiger was 'abscess and shock'. Some youths in the village initially tried to remove the nails and teeth from the carcass but they were prevented by the elders anticipating legal complications ahead, sources said. The officials have seized the iron mesh from the border of the nullah where the carcass was found but the farmers who owned the farm refused to accept the responsibility of the incident. Wildlife activists said they even examined the manner in which the iron mesh tied with a wooden log was laid and wondered how the tiger got entangled into it and the struggle it made to escape. They alleged that there is regular poaching activity in Tipeshwar sanctuary in connivance with officials. "Poachers from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh often visit the forest and get help of locals," they said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-death-was-caused-by-poaching/articleshow/10848655.cms