Baripada: Protection of Royal Bengal Tigers (RBTs) at Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district has emerged as a big challenge for the Forest department personnel as there is no let-up in poaching of national animals despite the presence of AI cameras, watchtowers, strict surveillance measures, and multi-layered security arrangements in the national park.
Hunters have been targeting not only regular tigers but also the melanistic ones, which are known for their distinctive black coats and exclusively found in Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary.
Concerns about tiger safety resurfaced after the seizure of a black tiger hide Wednesday, exposing chinks in the current security measures. While the government has been implementing extensive measures to ensure tiger safety, animal rights activists have expressed deep concern over the precarious state of the stripped animal. According to 2023 Tiger Census, Similipal is home to 27 adult RBTs and 12 cubs, including 16 melanistic ones.
A Forest Department employee, requesting anonymity, revealed that three RBTs had been poached in the past year. The poachers had reportedly skinned one tiger and smuggled its hide. Forest personnel recovered the mutilated tiger’s head, claws, and teeth and arrested the accused persons, who were later produced in the court.
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However, the department allegedly tried to hush up the incident by filing a frivolous case. The incident occurred in Jenabil forest range but was reportedly registered under Dukura range to cover it up. In another recent case, the Forest department seized a tiger hide and arrested suspects, including a doctor, who were produced in the court for prosecution. Bhanu Mitra Acharya, an independent director of Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) and former honorary wildlife warden, expressed concern as the Forest Department’s security plans, fraught with modernisation challenges, were rendered ineffective. The seizure of three tiger hides in the last six months has raised question marks on the department’s efficiency. Acharya stressed the need for stricter patrolling by forest staff, suggesting that patrolling on foot in forest paths could help apprehend poachers and prevent illegal poaching activities.
