PANJIM: Over a fortnight since the news of tigers being killed in Goa spread, there is no firm reason found for the crime.
As soon as the tiger carcass was discovered, Forest Department swung into action and arrested four persons of the Pavane family for poisoning the tigers.
“Though, five members of Pavane families confessed to killing five tigers by poisoning them, so far it has not been clear for what reason these tigers were poisoned despite the assurances given by the forest officials about paying compensation,” says environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar speaking to the Herald.
He says that when it was learnt by the forest officials about the repeated movements of the tigers in the forested areas of Golaulim in Sattari, they said that they met members of Pavane families and informed them not to allow cattle to graze inside the wildlife sanctuaries in the evening. “However, it was noticed that the cattle and buffaloes were venturing into the sanctuary areas to graze,” he said.
The Range Forest Officer of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, Vilas Gawas says, “As soon as we learnt that the cow was killed by the tiger and it was found half-eaten, we told the affected family that steps will be taken to give compensation immediately and requested them not to take any extreme steps to cause harm to the tiger. Our staff were on the vigil. However, it was not easy to monitor the movements of tigers.”
He adds, “Through the camera trap techniques, it was revealed that a tigress and three cubs relished on the meat of the buffalo that was found killed on December 30, 2019. As the cow and buffalo were killed outside the limit of the sanctuary, the panchanama was done by the officials of Valpoi Forest Range.”
Valpoi RFO Deepak Tandel, says, “When, we got the information that a cow was killed by tiger, we rushed to the spot and did the panchanama and informed Damage Assessment Committee about formalities required to be done for getting compensation to the affected family.”
The officer claimed that when again it was revealed that a buffalo was killed by a tiger and was found half-eaten, the forest officials met Malo Pavane and asked him to submit at the earliest the application for availing compensation. “In spite of this, a conspiracy was hatched for poisoning the carcass of the buffalo and when a tigress and three cubs had eaten the poisoned meat, eventually it resulted in the death of four tigers,” Tandel says.
Kerkar, who visited the first site where the carcass of sub-adult tiger was found, says, “When the assurances were given by the forest officials about the compensation for the losses of cow and buffalo, it is so far not clear for what reasons four tigers were poisoned to death. It was revealed during the panchanama that the claws of one male tiger were missing. There is need to investigate in detail the motives behind killing and poisoning of these tigers.”
Deputy Conservator of Forests Vikas Desai said, “Our Investigating Officer is probing the matter in all angles. We are hopeful of unearthing the motives behind the killing of four tigers.”
The investigating officer was successful in getting all the claws of the male tiger that were missing in the temple of Sateri- Kelbai at Golaulim.
“Most probably these claws of the tiger were removed as they are highly priced in the national and international market. The claws, the skin of the tiger, the scales of Pangolin, the skin of monitor lizards and the chital, the horns of bison and deer have high demand as the wildlife trophies,” Kerkar says.
He added that there is need to investigate this case in all angles to determine the motive behind the killing of four tigers.
