28 October 2007

A large male tiger in Kanha Tiger Reserve had a lucky escape yesterday from a poacher's trap. Three iron jaw traps had apparently been set on one of the major tracks through Kanha, near Chimpta Camp in Kisli Range. A group of labourers, who had been sent into the jungle to repair the road and cut the side grass ready for the season's tourist traffic, apparently stumbled on the tiger caught in one of the traps. As the people approached, the huge tiger managed to pull himself free from the trap.

It is reliably learnt that the same male tiger was shown to tourists this morning from elephant-back near Chimpta Camp, in the so called "tiger show". If this is indeed true, it is shocking that a traumatised and injured tiger should be abused this way by the Park authorities. Even if there is no visible injury, these vicious traps usually cause significant tissue damage. It is also of concern that poachers should blatantly set three iron traps on a road inside one of India's premier Tiger Reserves. This is surely a serious indictment of what the tiger poachers think of the Kanha management.

A similar incident happened on 14th December last year when tourists found a large male tiger in Kanha dragging an iron trap attached to one of its legs. It is only thanks to the fact that the traps in both these cases were of poor quality, that the two male tigers managed to survive.