Spread over an area of 500 sqkm, the reserve has four ranges -- Muthodi, Lakkavalli, Hebbe and Thangebailu -- and is manned by 36 anti-poaching camps. Presently, each camp has three watchers and one regular staffer to check any illegal activity.

The monitoring is so effective that not a single incident has been reported since 2013, stresses Karunakar, Conservator of Forests (CF) and Director, Bhadra Tiger Reserve.

“The sanctioned strength is four per camp and they are doing a good job. Compared to Bandipur and Nagarhole, our reserve is completely free from poachers. All the 36 camps actively monitor all strategic points and function through the day and night.”

Refuting the claims made by forest officials, wildlife conservationists say the officials are in a permanent state of denial and want to suppress any case that is reported by the forest rangers despite evidence.

“The best evidence one can get is from the forest department’s own camera traps where images (captured in mid-2015) clearly show the movement of poachers with guns in Hebbe range. Further, on field, there are only 50-60 watchers and not 108 as they claim. They have been hired but only on paper. Added to this, one or two camps are not operational,” they add.

Another allegation made by activists is that the various checkposts (in picture, the Muthodi range check post) are not being properly manned while some posts remain closed.

Activists say authorities have been hiding this issue though tree smuggling is also rampant. Till 2013, poaching incidents were detected, booked and poachers arrested, but now the department’s focus has shifted.

“Monitoring at forest checkposts is indifferent and one can hardly find staff from 5 pm to 9 am at the reserve gates. There is no permanent staff to check illegal activities, be it at Kolgame, Honnalla, Hebbe, Kemmanagundi or Lakkavali,” they said

But the CF argues, “Unlike Bandipur, there is no inter-state movement in this reserve and the gates open to villages. So, the checkposts remain closed in the night.”

Wildlife activist G Veeresh says, “The Forest Department seems to be concentrating more on civil works rather than securing protected areas. Even in core areas, civil works are on, adversely affecting the free movement of wild animals.”

Wildlife conservationist D V Girish adds that in the last two years, the focus on protection has considerably got diluted. “Attention is more towards adding infrastructure and eco-tourism facilities. If there is no effort towards detection, does it mean that no poaching is happening here?”

Inter-state Poachers

The reserve, which is home to tigers, black panthers, leopard cats, pangolins and porcupines, had seen criminal gangs operating from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and poaching the endangered scaly anteaters in 2013. They were later arrested. One more person was arrested in Kerala who had poached tiger parts from here.