How was Avni killed? Vets not convinced by Asghar’s retelling
a Pune based-wildlife biologist. The cubs are priority now, says Ali Khan.
“They will be tranquillised and moved to a fairly large place, and trained to hunt for a few months by chasing prey within the area. They are nine months old and as big as a leopard. They can hunt rabbits. Goats have also been tied on the trail they use ,” he adds.
Wildlife experts say their chance of survival is bleak. “If you look at tiger sociology, cubs trail the mother until they are a little over two years old. They pick up predation techniques from the mother, who has been killed,” says Rajesh Gopal, the former head of Project Tiger. “If the forest department succeeds in tracking them, they may be bred in captivity. Why should one wait for 13 people to die? The problem should have been resolved long ago. You need people’s support to maintain the tiger population,” says Gopal.“i am shocked that the nawab is being called to rescue cubs. This is absolute lack of professionalism. I don’t understand why we need a shikaari to do all this? Humantiger interface is part of forest management, frontline staff has to be well-versed with such circumstances,” he adds.shafath Ali says forest departments are incapable of handling aggressive, rogue animals and call him when all other ammunition is exhausted.
Wildlife experts and veterinarians disagree. “He (Shafath Ali) has called me and so many other veterinarians pleading to be included in conflict operations. The reason he is allowed (elsewhere) is his political clout and contacts. Why couldn’t the Maharashtra government call scientists, doctors to do the operation?,” said a former veterinary doctor of Mysore zoo, HS Prayag who used to be posted in Bandipur tiger reserve. MASINAGUDI: Shafath Ali shares a letter dated October 6, 2018 from the chief conservator of forests, Yavatmal, which states that he and his team, which includes Ali Khanand golfer Jyoti Randhawa, were allowed to shoot T1 in selfdefence if tranquillising efforts failed.
According to Asghar, golfer Randhawa was involved in the operation because he has Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff) dogs that could sniff out the tigress if she is in the bushes. “On the evening of November 2, veterinarians and officials had left. My father was in Patna. It was market day so a lot of local people were there. Suddenly we got information that T1 has been spotted. Dr Kadu of the forest department had already filled the tranquilliser gun before leaving. So a few of us immediately rushed to the spot,” says Ali Khan.
When they saw Avni, the forester says he shot the dart. “It hit perfectly. But the dart takes about 15 to 20 minutes to start acting. She immediately turned at us and tried to leap towards the person in the back seat of our open jeep. That’s when I shot her because I knew she would kill us all. That’s why the bullet hit her side.”
But veterinarians say it’s impossible that she was charging towards the shooter when she was shot because the bullet hit her left side.
Ali Khan says the fact that her stomach was empty shows that the terrain is not suitable for tigers. “There is zero prey base for them. T2, the male tiger who is father of T1’s cubs and the cubs are potential man-eaters now. The cubs used to roam with the mother. There will be problems in Yavatmal again.”