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Deer Slaughtered in Panna Tiger Reserve Core Area
18 Jul
Summary
- A chital was shot and killed within the core area of Panna tiger reserve.
- Forest officials apprehended one suspect with the animal's meat.
- Wildlife activists allege poor surveillance allows poaching and encroachment.
Poachers have killed a chital deer within the Chandranagar core area of the Panna tiger reserve. Forest officials apprehended one suspect, Bisma, a resident of Rajgarh village, with the animal's meat and seized an axe, knife, and spent gun cartridges. Two other individuals have been identified and are currently being sought by authorities.
The incident occurred on the night of July 17, when forest staff patrolling the Raipura beat of Chandranagar range detected suspicious activity. Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey condemned the breach, stating that poachers could enter, kill, and butcher a spotted deer within the core area. Dubey also alleged that illegal construction persists in the Chandranagar core zone and highlighted poor night surveillance as a contributing factor to such illegal activities.
Panna tiger reserve, which famously lost all its tigers by 2009, has since become a symbol of successful tiger reintroduction. Wildlife experts emphasize the critical importance of protecting prey populations, such as chital, for sustaining the recovered tiger numbers in the reserve.
