Another tiger falls prey to poachers at Panna tiger reserve in MP

Earlier this month, carcass of three tigers were found in the buffer zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BRT) in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh

A three-year old tigress was allegedly killed by poachers in Gehrighat area of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) yesterday, an official said.

Vivek Jain, the PTR's field director, said that the carcass was found in the Gehrighat area and added that the three-year-old animal had fallen prey to a wire trap.

"It seems that poachers had laid a wire trap for other animals, but the tiger fell victim to it. We have deployed a dog squad at the spot and hope to arrest those behind the act soon," he said.

He added that the viscera was sent for forensic examination and the carcass was consigned to flames.

Earlier this month, the carcass of three more tigers were found in the buffer zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BRT) in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey blamed these deaths to the laxity on the part of the state administration.

He said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had in a meeting in New Delhi in March 2016 issued instructions to set up a Wild Life Intelligence Bureau at the state level.

"But MP has yet not set up this bureau. There is immediate need to take steps to control poachers," Dubey said.