Cannot hold China responsible for tiger deaths: Jairam Ramesh

NGOs may have been blaming China for the fuelling demand for tiger bones and parts but environment minister Jairam Ramesh today said the neighbouring country should not be held responsible for death of big cats.

"We cannot hold China responsible for tiger deaths in our country because our own people are involved in killing the animal. Poaching, poisoning and smuggling are happening in India itself," Ramesh told reporters here.

He stressed on strengthening monitoring at all level particularly at the inter-country borders to save the tigers whose numbers have dwindled to 1,411 in the country as per recent official estimate.

"I have been talking to the neighbouring nations like Nepal and China and steps are being taken to step up action against smuggling while at home efforts are ensured to empower Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to nab the poachers," he said in reply to a query.

Ramesh also said that tiger habitats were threatened by the mining mafia, real estate mafia in a conspiracy with local political interests who does not want the big cat to survive.

Poaching and smuggling of tigers fuelled by China's incessant demand for tiger parts has been a thorny issue between New Delhi and Beijing. Incidentally, the issue had dominated Ramesh's first visit to China as environment minister in August last year.

Tiger expert Belinda Wright of Wildlife Protection Society of India has blamed China for failing to curb smuggling in tiger bones and parts leading to deaths of the big cats in the wild.