CUBS ARE SAFE, SAYS MINISTER

Certainly it was not in crores, else everybody will leave their job and become a hunter. The diesel for the car was provided by the forest department, the man power was from the forest department, why would the department pay such a huge sum?" demanded Mungantiwar. An Environment expert Debi Goenka said, "The cub of a tiger can fetch a price of US $ 100,000 in the international market. It all depends upon the condition of the tiger."

An official from forest ministry said a slain tiger has high demand in black market. "One tiger rug costs US$ 125,000, whereas a stuffed tiger costs US$ 700,000 in the international market. The, cubs, too have a high demand in the black market and poachers offer US $ 5000 and above," said the official. The minister also took a dig at NGOs for criticising the killing and said: "When we plant trees, NGOs do not come forward and lend a helping hand. When we plan programmes for saving endangered species, they do not say a word. We could not have let humans die to save an animal," he said.

Animal rights organisation PETA India has condemned the killing. Its Lead Emergency Response Coordinator, in a statement, said, "Avni was killed illegally satisfying a hunter's lust for blood in possible contempt of court and in apparent violation of the Wildlife Protection Act and the guidelines of National Tiger Conservation Authority."