Poachers took four limbs, two canines of Jharan tiger

TNN | Jan 25, 2012, 03.25AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Now it is official that the dead tiger found in Jharan range of FDCM North Chandrapur on Monday evening was poached by electrocution. Postmortem of the carcass and the circumstantial evidences gathered from the spot on Tuesday have confirmed that tiger had died due to electrocution. While poachers hacked and took away all four limbs and two canine of the beast, they left behind the metal wire used for electrocution. Not much was left of the tiger's carcass as it turned out that beast was killed more than five days back. "It was adult male tiger aged around 6 years. A black injury mark, caused due to contact with electric wire, was found near the neck. Only four nails were recovered near the carcass," said veterinary doctor PD Kadukar, who conducted the postmortem. Earlier FDCM officers had planned to take the carcass to Chandrapur but owing to its deteriorating condition, they finally decided to carry out autopsy at the same spot on Tuesday morn Following the recovery of carcass an extensive search was carried out in compartment No. 122 of Jharan range. The search had revealed several signs which substantiate that the place was a haven for local poachers. Foresters recovered over 300 metre long metal wire from the jungle which was used for electrocution of the tiger. Small ropes were found tied to the lower parts of the trees standing across the forest tracks to hold the electric wire which is laid low just above the ground, so that any wild animal walking along the track comes in the contact with the live wire. Internal sources in forest department claimed that, both 11 KV and 66 KV electric line passes over the place where the carcass was found. "Poachers might have used the 11 KV line for electrocuting the animal, as use of 66 KV line would have destroyed the wire as well as the carcass by its high voltage current," forest officers said. The trip record of the electric supply line summoned form the MSEDCL, too have helped in confirming the time of poaching. As per records, the Aksapur electricity feeder, that regulates the electricity supply in all the villages around had tripped at 3am of January 19, the probable time when the tiger was electrocuted, sources claimedForest officers are confident that it is the work of local poachers who were after a herbivore, but accidentally tiger was killed by the live wire. "The way tiger's claws were hacked, suggests that it was the work of non-professional poachers. They went on to axe the right jaw of the tiger to remove the right upper and lower canine tooth. But, they left four nails behind, failed to remove left upper and lower canine and even did not bother to go after the skin," sources said. Entire circumstantial evidences put together, it is apparent that poachers belong to some nearby villages and were actively poaching the herbivores in the area with electric wire since last few months. Meanwhile, senior forest officers including FDCM MD SK Sood, APCCF Anmol Kumar, regional manager FDCM Sanjay Thakre, CCF Chandrapur circle BSK Reddy, divisional manager, FDCM MA Ghoshal along with PCCF's representative Bandu Dhotre and NTCA's representative Poonam Dhanwatey were present during the postmortem of the tiger. Veterinary doctor Kadukar has removed the available viscera to forward it to forensic lab. The carcass was later burnt at the same spot before the witnesses. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Poachers-took-four-limbs-two-canines-of-Jharan-tiger/articleshow/11622633.cms