Adilabad: The Kawal Tiger Reserve has become unsafe for tigers thanks to heightened poaching activity.
Forest officials have failed to curb poaching in the reserve, forget surrounding areas. They talk a lot about shifting Adivasi gudems (hamlets) from the core area, but never involve them in protection of tigers.
In the past few years, officials have seized three tiger skins in the old Adilabad district.
Earlier, two tiger skins were seized at Bejjur and Luxettipet and a leopard skin at Indravelli. Three days ago, forest staff arrested two poachers for killing a spotted deer in the Kawal Tiger Reserve’s jurisdiction.
All these incidents indicate that poaching is rampant in the reserve area despite the forest department’s efforts to control it.
Kawal Tiger Reserve field director Sharavanand said the killing of a tiger in Pembi area was unfortunate but they were creating awareness about tiger conversation among people and
seeking their cooperation to create a favourable environment for tigers’ safety.
Officials said tiger was spotted in Kadam area a few days go.
Sources, however, said it was unfortunate that forest officials were revealing information about movement and location of migrant tigers at Kawal. Poachers were keenly tailing information given by forest officials to journalists, they said.
