"In June I received several messages from Dr. Charles McDougal and Pradeep Rana of Tiger Tops/Tiger Mountain about events at Royal Bardia National Park and Royal Chitwan National Park.
At Bardia in May there were arrests and seizures of four people trying to sell two different bags of tiger bones of 10 and 15 kgs each (10-15 kgs. would be one full grown tiger) and one complete tiger skin. Again on June 12 the complete skeleton of one tiger, leopard, and clouded leopard was confiscated along with a complete python skin. Two men were also arrested trying to sell the tusk of the infamous wild elephant known as Kanchha Gaj. Kanchha Gaj was found dead near the highway during a rhino census. It was impossible to determine the cause of death as two weeks had probably passed since the time of death. Those that have been to Bardia will know Kanchha Gaj and the one-tusked mean-spirited elephant that used to strike fear into all the domestic elephants which took us on forays into the jungle. At a request from McDougal, funds from our recent grant to Nepal to sent to help pay for rewards in these arrests.
At Chitwan poaching is on the increase, especially of rhinos, in spite of the presence of several anti-poaching units. Tikaram Adhikara, a former deputy warden at Chitwan, has established a mobile anti-poaching unit and we are pleased to have committed our resources to support him. It was a meeting with Tika Ram and McDougal in 1993, and a subsequent visit to the local jail to interview poachers, that inspired me to begin this tiger conservation work. Tikaram is a dedicated and fearless gentleman who deserves our support."
Brian K. Weirum
Chairman
The Fund For The Tiger
From Brian Weirum and The Wildlife Protection Society of India:
The past few weeks have been a nightmare. Between 7th December 1999 and 12th January, 2000 the skins and parts of a minimum of 16 tigers have been seized by the authorities. Details of the four largest seizures - among the biggest ever - are given below. Indian conservationists are in despair. We can scream and holler and work till we drop, but without the sincere support of the government and the political will of the leaders of the land to solve the problem, there is no hope. Tigers must be protected, so that we can count live tigers, not dead ones.
Yesterday, Mrs Maneka Gandhi (Minister of Empowerment and Welfare) and Mr Ashok Kumar (Vice President of WPSI) called on Mr L.K. Advani, the Home Minister, to appraise him of the recent seizures and remind him of his September 1998 pledge to set up a Directorate of Enforcement for Wildlife Crimes. This Directorate was first proposed by WPSI as long ago as July 1995. We have made numerous and urgent representations to the government since then, to no avail. Yesterday, Mr Advani listened patiently, and said "it will be done". But when ?
WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE URGENTLY SEND A FAX MESSAGE TO MR L.K. ADVANI URGING THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA TO STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF WILD TIGERS AND SET UP A DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT FOR WILDLIFE CRIMES:
Mr L.K. Advani
Home Minister, Government of India
Office Fax: Int + 91.11.301.4221
Home Fax: Int + 91.11.378.2367
Please also send a letter to Mr Advani. His address is:
Mr L.K. Advani
Honourable Home Minister
Government of India
Room No.104, North Block
New Delhi 110 003
India.
Three tiger skins, 50 leopard skins and 5 fox skins were seized by Sales Tax officials from a truck in Gaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on the outskirts of Delhi. The skins were concealed in large jute bags, and wrapped in polythene and layers of denim cloth. The truck was bound for Siliguri in north Bengal, near India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan. The skins were all fresh and each had a signature on the back. Both the names of the sender and receiver on the packages turned out to be fake. So far only the truck driver and cleaner have been arrested. Both claim to know nothing of the origin of the skins. Unfortunately the authorities released details of the seizure to the press the same day - before they had interrogated the owner of the truck company or searched their godown, thereby making it extremely difficult to track down the real offenders.
Police in Najibabad, Uttar Pradesh, seized 3,000 kg of deer antlers in 52 sacks from the house of Mohammed Farooq, who was arrested. The town of Najibabad is near both Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park. Most of the antlers were attached with pieces of skull, proving that they came from deer that had been illegally poached. The antler trade is not only decimating the tiger's prey but is also the cause of widespread fires in precious tiger habitat. The trade, which was banned in India in 1998, feeds a thriving market for the production of pistol and cutlery handles, and buttons, which are exported to the West.
Four tiger skins, 175 kg of tiger bone, 312 tiger claws (representing 18 dead tigers), 70 leopard skins, 18,000 leopard claws (representing a staggering 1,000 dead leopards), and 220 blackbuck skins were seized by the Forest Department in a town called Khaga (about 100 km from Allahahbad) in Fatehpur District, Uttar Pradesh. Four people who have working tanneries there - Azizullah, Sabir Hussain Quershi, Nizamudin and Jamalludin - and three others including a woman, have been arrested.
Since this case appears to involve some of the country's major wildlife criminals and cover wildlife products from many states, NGOs in India - including WPSI - have urged the government to hand this case over to India's premier enforcement agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Officials of the Directorate of Intelligence (DRI) in Chennai seized 7,000 kg of antlers (see details on antler trade above) and 8,500 kg of sandalwood which were concealed in bags marked as rice in a container lying in the Chennai docks. Three people have been arrested. Further details are awaited.
WPSI lawyers were present in court in both Gaziabad and Fatehpur and successfully opposed bail of the accused. WPSI is also vigorously assisting the authorities with the investigation of both these cases.
Thapar House, 124 Janpath, New Delhi 110001, India
Tel: (Int+91.11) 621.3864 & 629.2492
Fax: (Int+91.11) 646.4918
Website: http://www.nbs.it/tiger
Email: wpsi@vsnl.com
Page last updated August 14, 2000
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