The Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) on Tuesday issued shoot-at-sight orders against poachers. But the orders were to be carried out only for “self-protection against poachers carrying arms,” CTR director Parag MadhukarDhakate said.
A five-day anti-poaching operation was initiated following Intelligence information about the suspected movement of poachers.
According to the tiger census data released in 2015, Uttarakhand, with 340 tigers, has the second highest tiger population in the country after Karnataka. According to wildlife experts, the tiger population has gone up in the past two years.
“We received some inputs from the intelligence agencies following which we have started an anti-poaching operation. We have sealed the entry points of the Corbett Tiger Reserve on the northern and southern borders. Forest workers have been ordered to instantly shoot any poacher or hunter seen with arms in the core critical tiger habitat zone,” Mr. Dhakate said.
According to him, such orders had been given by the state chief secretary in the past too for the protection of forest department workers.
Also, in the five-day anti-poaching operation that is underway in CTR, sharp shooters have been placed at the important vantage points in CTR, 388 camera traps have been placed across the tiger reserve. Two drones, night vision equipment, and 150 forest department workers will be used in the anti-poaching operation.
According to the data provided by the Uttarakhand forest department, 112 tigers have died between November, 2000 and November, 2016. This includes 56 natural deaths, 19 deaths due to mutual fights between tigers, 17 deaths in accidents and six tiger deaths in poaching incidents.
"Our responsibility is to protect tigers for which the five-day anti-poaching operations have been initiated [that began on Tuesday]," MrDhakate said.
