Forest officials have conceded that the recent poaching in the Gir Sanctuary has revealed links to the 'first ever sinister systematic poaching in the region'.
AHMEDABAD: The state forest department officials have conceded that the recent poaching of lions in the Gir Sanctuary has revealed links to the “first ever sinister systematic poaching in the region.”
News of the poaching of three lionesses for their nails and bones, and the subsequent chasing of two lion cubs to a well and their subsequent death, had trickled out some days ago. A rattled state machinery has admitted that recent investigations brought to light the high demand for the nails and bones of the big cats in international markets. The endangered Asiatic Gir lions are now facing the biggest threat ever - a deep-rooted nexus of organised poaching in the region baying for the king of the jungle, the officials admitted.
“Considering the seriousness of the issue, the Central government has in principle approved our request for CID to investigate the matter,” principle chief conservator of forest Pradeep Khanna told DNA.
“The missing bones are the biggest concern. Our investigations point at a change in the black market - the bones seem to be fetching a substantial value in the international market,” Khanna said. He added that this kind of dangerously sinister poaching is not the work of locals for a few thousands; there is an organised gang at work.
Accepting that poaching is now “an extremely nasty reality”, principal secretary, forest and environment PN Roychowdhary said, “These incidents have shaken us all. This is a first for Gir, and intensive investigations are initiated. We have already started tightening the administration and creating new infrastructure in and around the sanctuary,” he said.
The state has roped in the Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the case. This kind of poaching has traversed man-lion conflict in the region to new heights. Unfortunately for Gujarat government, this comes at a time when it is under pressure from wildlife activists to relocate some of the lions to Kano Wildlife Sanctuary in MP.
“There are strong political motives at play here. They claim the state machinery is not equipped to manage the rising population and these poaching incidents have added fuel to fire. Poaching was never a part of Gir sanctuary and for it so crop up suddenly smells of something very shady,” an informed source told DNA Money.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}