GUWAHATI: Assam forest department arrested 7 poachers and recovered a number of tiger body parts and skin in the Kohora area of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) on December 28. This news comes amidst speculations of drastically decreasing numbers of tigers in the Karbi Anglong forests.
Police have said that the poachers have confessed to killing a tiger in the Anjukpani area along the Nagoan-Karbi Anglong district border. The seven men were trying to sell the body parts of the tiger to wildlife traffickers.
The arrested have been identifies as Babu Teron, Joysing Bey, Dharam Sing Bey, Barlong Teron, Balbir Singh, Dilip Singh and Manjit Singh.
Rohini Saikia, Divisional Forest Officer of Kaziranga National Park said that authorities were informed that a team of poachers were coming from Rongmongwe to deliver wildlife parts to a person. Following the information, the Jakhalabandha and Bagori police intercepted a vehicle and arrested five persons with some wildlife parts.
Tiger bones are very sought after in the black market for their medicinal values and tiger skin is used for decorative purposes. A tiger skin may cost 8-9 lakhs in India and over $20,000 in China. Through China, it then goes to various international markets. Similarly, tiger bones also sell for the same rates.
Saikia also mentioned that after conducting a joint operation, authorities also recovered some more tiger bones and skins from a house owned by Dilip Singh at Kohora and arrested him along with the other poachers.
According to a National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) census in 2014, India had 2226 tigers, (range 1945-2491) of which, 167 were in Assam. However, a 2015 census showed that only 125 tigers are left in KNP.
No individual census of the tigers in Karbi Anglong areas has been conducted so far which unfortunately leaves forest officials and locals dependents to speculate on the numbers.