The recent death of a female Royal Bengal tiger during a translocation operation has caused widespread concerns in Assam, north eastern India. Wildlife experts demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of death of the feline. The big cat that strayed out of the Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve during recent floods was found to have attacked livestock in the Dhing area of Nagaon district. Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve is a satellite area of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
After over a month of grueling activity to capture the tiger, it could finally be tranquilized on August 23, 2024. Unfortunately, the tranquilized animal was found dead the next day while being relocated to the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden in Guwahati. Forest department officials stated that the tiger succumbed to its infections. There was “assurance of review of protocols” by concerned authorities.
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However, wildlife activists blamed the forest department for the fatal outcome alleging ‘the tiger died due to suffocation while being transported in an inadequately ventilated box’.
“The National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines mention that it is important to have properly designed suitable cages and transport mechanism which causes least stress to the captured carnivore,” said Dilip Nath, a wildlife activist, who was on the spot. He alleged that the forest officials failed to take necessary precautions.
“I had been there constantly monitoring the situation. It was a big and beautiful animal. What I mean to say is that the tiger was healthy enough to have survived had the precautions been properly followed. The tiger died soon after the tranquilization process. It is the forest department officials who only circulated this story that the tiger succumbed to its injuries the next day in the zoo just to save their own skin,” Nath countered.
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The Royal Bengal tiger is protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and listed by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘Endangered’ species. When it comes to tiger conservation, apart from the threats of habitat destruction and poaching, conflict between tiger and people had posed a bigger challenge.
Human habitations deplete prey base for the tiger– experts had warned and suggested that conflict cannot be resolved unless wild animals have sufficient protected space so that they do not have a reason to get too close to human settlements.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) provides the basic minimum steps required in dealing with incidents of tiger straying in human dominated landscapes. The purpose is to ensure that straying tigers are handled in the most appropriate manner to avoid injury to human beings, tiger, cattle and property.
The latest incident gave rise to many questions as to whether the NTCA guidelines were followed when dealing with the emergency.
A retired forest official from Assam forest department, who requested anonymity, questioned the decision of need for relocation of the tiger– “If the captured tiger is found to be healthy, young without loss of canine or injury, etc., then it may be released after radio collaring in a suitable habitat with adequate prey base, away from human settlements under intimation to the NTCA.”
Need for community support in wildlife management overlooked
The death of the protected species underscores the delicate balance required in handling of tranquillized animals. There has been a string of unfortunate incidents in the state raising serious doubts over wildlife management.
Though it may sound absurd, forest guards actually killed a tiger in Kaziranga National Park on June 17, 2021 when irate villagers pressed forest guards to fire and chase away the predator attacking their livestock. Official sources said that the tiger was hit by “accidental” firing.
While a departmental enquiry was ordered to probe the circumstances that led to the firing and consequent death of the 10-year old male tiger, such incidents largely remain uncoordinated throughout the state and reveals lack of training of frontline conservation personnel in dealing with such emergencies.
On January 15 that year, forest guards used several rounds of ammunition to kill an Asiatic Water Buffalo protected under the Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. The buffalo that came out of the Sixth Addition of the Kaziranga National Park on the North Bank, created panic killing two villagers in Biswanath Chariali.
Rather than using tranquilizing guns, forest guards used bullets to put an end to the protected animal. We simply cannot term our conservation strategies successful when there have been instances of “accidental shooting” of precious wildlife by people who are entrusted with the responsibility of protecting wildlife.
Elephants taking refuge in tea gardens hardly escape mobs pelting stones or throwing flaming torches at them. When the pachyderms retaliate, the clamour would grow to fire at the advancing mega faunas. The State Forest Department must acknowledge the need to securing support for conservation from local communities and take into consideration the voices of the community while framing policies for result-oriented conservation approach.
The SOP of NTCA clearly mentions to proactively involve the district administration and the Superintendent of Police of the area to maintain law and order besides avoiding crowding by local mobs.
“In all instances of wild carnivores like tiger/leopard straying into a human dominated landscape, the district authorities need to ensure law and order by imposing section 144 of the CrPC. This is essential to avoid agitation/excited local people surrounding the animal spot which hampers capture operation, leading to serious injuries on people and staff. It is also necessary that police and local administration be involved at an early stage. Effective coordination with them is critical to control mobs which as has been seen in several instances, worsen the situation and lead to avoidable fatalities/tragedies”.
A wild animal–when it comes nearer to human habitation–is perceived as a threat, a rogue, or killer. It is really painful to see wildlife acquiring such negative connotation. Little wonder then that any precious wildlife spotted near settlements either land in captivity or pay with their lives. There have been umpteen incidents when irate mobs lynch leopards and paraded with the mutilated body in front of TV cameras! Such actions raise serious questions on the competence of the concerned department. The intolerance level of the masses has equally been responsible for the crisis in wildlife management.