Death of 5 tigers: Three arrested for poisoning big cats in revenge for cow's killing
Bengaluru, June 28
The Forest and Police authorities have cracked the sensational case involving the death of a tigress and her four cubs in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills forest region and arrested three persons in connection with the incident on Saturday.
According to the official statement by Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, the authorities are investigating the arrested persons and legal action would be initiated against them.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Konappa, Madaraju and Nagaraju. All accused hail from Koppa village.
The case has been taken up under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Karnataka Forest Act, 1969, Minister Khandre stated.
Sources stated, the arrested individuals have confessed to poisoning the meat in order to kill the tigers, claiming it was an act of revenge for the death of their cow. Police are also questioning three other individuals in connection with the case.
According to the accused, the tigress had killed a cow named ‘Kenchi’. An angry Maduraju shared his grief with Nagaraju, and the duo, with the help of others decided to take revenge on the big cats by killing the tigress and her cubs.
They procured pesticide, entered the forest, and found the carcass of the dead cow, which they laced with the chemical.
The next day, the tigress and her four cubs consumed the poisoned meat and died.
Maduraju is said to have expressed happiness over the death of the tigers and even celebrated it.
Police stated that Maduraju had absconded after the deaths triggered a public outcry. He was eventually tracked down and arrested.
Earlier, police had taken Maduraju’s father, Shivanna, into custody. In an attempt to protect his son, Shivanna falsely confessed to poisoning the tigers. Following the arrests and confession of the actual culprits, the police have now dropped Shivanna’s name from the case, sources stated.
Meanwhile, the government has appointed Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Nodal Officer (All India Tiger Estimation) Kumar Pushkar as the head of the investigation team, replacing the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF).
The investigation team includes Chief Forest Conservator T. Hiralal, APCCF Srinivasulu, NTCA representative Malleshappa, veterinary officer of Mysuru Zoo Dr. Shashidhar, and wildlife expert and activist Sanjay Gubbi.
The unnatural deaths had come to light on Thursday.
The carcasses of the tigress and the cubs were discovered in the Meenyam forest area, within the Hoogyam range of the sanctuary.
According to sources, the tigress had killed the cow and dragged it into the forest. She and four of her cubs had partially consumed the meat. Later, the tigress and her cubs returned to the kill and died after consuming the meat that had been poisoned.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I understand the villagers' frustration over losing their cattle, killing endangered species is not the answer. The government should implement proper compensation schemes for livestock losses immediately. This tragedy could have been prevented with better policies and awareness programs.
As someone who has visited this forest area, I'm shocked by this incident. The forest department needs to work more closely with local communities. Education about wildlife conservation should start from school level in these villages. The cubs didn't deserve this cruel fate.
Strictest punishment should be given to these criminals! Not just the tigers, they've poisoned our entire ecosystem. The chemicals will affect other animals too. Our wildlife laws need more teeth - this should be treated as a national crime.
This shows how poor our human-wildlife conflict management is. Both tigers and villagers are victims here. The government must act fast - better fencing, early warning systems, and instant compensation for cattle losses. We can't keep losing our tigers like this!
While the crime is unforgivable, we must understand the villagers' perspective too. Their livelihood depends on cattle. The forest department should have acted when the first cow was killed - preventive measures could have saved both cattle and tigers. System failed both sides.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.