Tiger
poaching gang busted near Corbett national park
Soon
after joining as Field Director of Corbett Tiger
Reserve (CTR), Mr. P.C. Joshi, in cooperation with
Mr. Brijendra Singh, Honorary Wildlife Warden - CTR,
district police of Haldwani and Ramnagar, and
Delhi based Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI)
busted a tiger poaching and trade racket which had
operated from the Kotabagh village near Kaladhungi
for long. Mohan Singh Bora alias Munna,
resident of Kotabagh was arrested with bones of two
tigers and a sample piece of ivory, 60 kgs of
which he had promised to deliver to a decoy
customer. During negotiations he had promised
substantial wildlife articles and had disclosed that
he killed tigers mainly by poisoning. After
the sale of tiger bones he had promised to deliver
six tiger skins which he said were from tigers
killed in the last 6-8 months. The seizure
took place on Sunday, 13th August, 2000
Mr. R.S. Yadav, station in charge of Ramnagar police
station with head and face heavily covered with a
scarf was driving the car into which tiger bones
were loaded. The decoy customer was from WPSI.
For many years it has been a well known fact that
Kotabagh village was being used for poaching tigers,
leopards, elephants and other wildlife in Ramnagar
forest division and fringes of Corbett park.
Yesterday's seizure is the first breakthrough in
controlling the racket. The operation was
conducted quickly and swiftly under total secrecy.
No one was more surprised than Munna when a
feigned search for the second car containing payment
for him lead him straight into a police post not far
from Corbett
Park. A country made loaded pistol was
recovered from his person.
Based on
interrogation and leads, quantities of steel traps,
nets and spears used for poaching have been found.
Further arrests and seizures of tiger parts are
expected.
(information
received through e-mail from WPSI)
