Karnataka News: MM Hills Tiger Deaths Spark Statewide Probe Into Wildlife Protection Failures

Karnataka News: MM Hills Tiger Deaths Spark Statewide Probe Into Wildlife Protection Failures

After forming two separate teams to investigate into the poisoning of five tigers, the Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has asked the PCCF to send three senior officers in-charge of the MM Hills wildlife sanctuary on compulsory leave till the investigation is completed.

Vinay Madhava GowdaUpdated: Wednesday, July 02, 2025, 10:19 PM IST
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Bengaluru: The poisoning of five tigers, including a mother and four cubs at MM Hills wildlife sanctuary has cascading effect with the Forest Department asking three of the senior officials to go on compulsory leave and to submit a detailed report of over 82 tigers died in the State during the last five years.

Meanwhile, following the complaints that the lower-level staff like guard were not attending the work since they were not paid salaries for the last three months, the Forest Minister has sought a detailed report of the salaries disbursed to them. Besides, a special investigation has been mooted into poaching of a leopard in neighboring Cowdalli range, which the forest officials tried to hide it without reporting the matter.

After forming two separate teams to investigate into the poisoning of five tigers, the Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has asked the PCCF to send three senior officers in-charge of the MM Hills wildlife sanctuary on compulsory leave till the investigation is completed. Those sent on leave include the DCF Chakrapani Y, ACF Gajanana Sharma and the RFO Madesh. The officers from other divisions have been made in-charge of the vacant posts.

Meanwhile, there were a number of complaints on the working of forest department officials that the salary for outsourced guards and watchers had not been paid for the last three months, which had hampered the protection works. Since the outsourced workers were not paid salaries for the last three months, they had stopped coming to work and there were no one at anti-poaching camps and patrolling work in the region had come to a standstill.

The Minister has sought complete details of number of outsourced staff, the payment made to them with the bank documents, the patrolling work M-script and data, the dairy entry of the officials about beat system during the last one year, the dates of money released to the forest department officials and the dates the officials released the salary to the staff suppliers during the last one year, the GPS details of the anti-poaching camp and walkie-talkie data.

This would enable the investigating team to assess if the officials really faulter in holding the staff together for the protection work.

Meanwhile, due to suspicion about forest department officials fudging the details of cause of death of tigers, the minister has sought a detailed report of tiger deaths in the State during the last five years. According to NTCA data, 82 tigers have died in Karnataka during the last five years.

The minister has directed the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to submit a detailed report on how many natural deaths and how many unnatural deaths have taken place during this period. Besides, the details of if the claws and canine were missing in any case and if so, what action the forest department had taken about it. If there has been poaching or poisoning, what are the actions initiated by the forest department and how many people have been convicted so far. If the investigation is delayed, what are the reasons for delay.

LEOPARD INVESTIGATION: Meanwhile, the Minister has ordered a special investigation into the poaching of a leopard in MM Hills, Cowdalli range few days before poisoning of tigers.

A leopard had been poached in Ramapura - Martalli border and its four limbs were chopped off by the poachers. The officials did not register a case and just disposed off the carcass.

During the preliminary inquiry, the RFO Rajashekhar and DRFO Anand feigned ignorance about the incident. However, some of the lower staff spilled the beans and the minister has ordered a fresh investigation into the episode by senior officials.

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