Assam: Forest Minister expresses regret over killing of Royal Bengal Tiger

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKAKHAT: Expressing regret over the brutal killing of a Royal Bengal Tiger at Barbil in Dusutimukh of Golaghat district, Forest and Environment Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary visited Kaziranga on Thursday.

Speaking in Kaziranga, the Minister said that the tiger should not have been killed in such a cruel manner. He acknowledged that when a tiger enters a village, panic is natural. However, he added that if the forest department had been informed, experienced personnel from Kaziranga could have tranquilized and rescued the animal.

Minister Patowary criticized the villagers for taking matters into their own hands without informing the forest department. He called the incident very unfortunate and informed that he has instructed the Golaghat Forest Division officer to file a formal report (FIR) regarding the matter. The police have already arrested 5 people in connection with the killing.

The minister further stated that other perpetrators involved in the incident will also be arrested and punished under the Wildlife Protection Act.

He also referred to a similar incident in Kaliabor, where a leopard lost one of its eyes permanently due to an attack by locals. In addition, in the same area where the recent incident occurred, a rhinoceros had earlier died following an attack by villagers, the minister revealed.

Minister Patowary urged the public to inform the forest department immediately if any wild animal strays into human settlements from Kaziranga National Park, rather than taking the law into their own hands.

Meanwhile, the Greater Kaziranga Land and Human Rights Protection Committee blamed the forest department for complete negligence in the incident and demanded a judicial-level inquiry. Expressing grief over the killing of the tiger, the committee’s leader Pranab Dalei told the media that tigers had been frequently sighted in the area.

Following these incidents, the committee, along with other organizations, had repeatedly urged the authorities, including the Golaghat Forest Division and the Director of Kaziranga National Park, to relocate the tiger to ensure the safety of the locals. The organizations believe that the authorities’ failure to act on their requests resulted in this tragic incident.

Holding both the Golaghat and Kaziranga forest departments responsible, the committee urged the government to initiate a judicial inquiry and identify and punish the real culprits.

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