Seven arrested for tiger killing and illegal trade in south India

Mysore, October 22, 2012: The Karnataka Forest Department and Karnataka Forest Criminal Investigation Department, with the assistance of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), seized a tiger skin and bone from the BRT range (Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary). Seven suspects were arrested over a two-day period. The skin was about a year-old and belonged to a four year old male tiger, 6.91 feet in length.

The accused have been booked and are currently under judicial custody. The prosecution is being assisted by Voice for Wildlife.

The Karnataka authorities had been aware for some time of a professional gang trading in tiger parts, operational in the area. After a stint of information gathering using a decoy customer, the authorities received confirmation of a tiger skin in the gang’s possession, near the Kollegal range. They laid a trap and apprehended the main suspect Somman with his gang, of four others, near Kunthur village, about 60 km from Mysore on Thursday evening.

The gang members confessed to killing the tiger with poisoned meat near the BRT WLS. They also revealed the names of the other two people involved in the illegal trade and poaching along with them, who were subsequently arrested on Friday.

This was a successful operation with the enforcement agency being able to trace the spot where the tiger had been poached and the skin removed. This was the fourth tiger skin seized in Karnataka this year.