The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is already in process of preparing such a data bank. Almost 35 top officials from APCCF to DFO rank from both the states attended the one-day meeting organized in Pench Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra).

Chief wildlife warden of Maharashtra, Sarjan Bhagat and MP, Narendra Kumar attended the meeting. Both Bhagat and Kumar did not respond to calls made to them.

Senior officials, who attended the meeting, told TOI that a good part of the meeting was spent on discussing the recent poaching cases. The need for having a national data bank on wildlife criminals on the lines of police department was strongly recommended.

"The database would contain profiles of criminals operating in tiger-bearing states and old cases against them. Though creation of such a base needs expertise and is difficult, it will help legally and also in identification of criminals involved in tiger poaching repeatedly," they said.

"The idea of such a database has been floated long back, but no steps were taken in the past. The department is considering creating such a database for the past five years, but it should be done after 1972, when the Wildlife Protection Act came into place," a source said.

The Maharashtra forest officials also explained how they arrested 16 hard-core organized tiger poachers in the past five months. Over 34 poachers are still at large. While officials registered at least seven offences in tiger poaching cases, their counterparts in MP are sitting mum despite the fact that tigers have been poached there too.

Both the states also agreed upon sharing information on wildlife crime. "We handed over a list of wanted tiger poachers and their cell numbers to the MP officials. We also told them about the need for intensifying search for the criminals," said a senior official.

Another issue that figured in the discussions was about the wildlife forensic lab set up in Jabalpur with the help of veterinary university there. "In future we would take benefit of this lab to analyse wildlife material. Till now articles and body parts of animals were sent to Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad," officials said.

WHAT WAS DISCUSSED

* Setting of centralized data bank of wildlife criminals at national level

* Exchange of information on wildlife crime and intelligence

* Take help of wildlife forensic lab set up at Jabalpur

* Intensify search for over 34 tiger poachers who are absconding

* Stress laid on patrolling and vigilance