After Avni death, no more hired hunters

› It was unanimously decided that the state needs to ensure such cases (Avni’s shooting) are not repeated AMBIKA HIRANANDANI, advocate

MUMBAI:TWO months after tigress T-1, better known as Avni, was put down in Maharashtra by hired hunters on suspicions of having turned into a man-eater, the state animal welfare board has decided contract killing of ‘problematic’ animals will no longer be given to recreational or trophy hunters.

A resolution to this effect was passed by the board of 20 members, chaired by BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, during its meeting last month after advocate and member Ambika Hiranandani raised the issue. The information was made public on January 10.

“Maharashtra’s animal welfare board cannot keep silent in the wake of something so serious,” said Hiranandani. “It was unanimously decided that the state needs to ensure such cases are not repeated. More veterinary officers need to be trained to tranquilise and rescue schedule 1 species. No contract killer is to be hired in future instances of human-animal conflict cases.”

Animal welfare groups said the decision was good but it was not binding on the CWLW.

“The CWLW is empowered by a weak and archaic law to be the sole person who can call anyone to eliminate wildlife seen as a threat to humans,” said Sarita Subramaniam, Earth Brigade Foundation, who has petitioned against the killing of T-1 at the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court.

AK Misra, CWLW and principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), Maharashtra, who issued shooting orders against Avni, said, “We will treat the decision taken by the animal welfare board as an advisory...for future cases. However, if we do not have resources within the forest department to address man-animal conflict, other options such as the army or skilled state-department officers will be considered.”

“While the state forest department followed all protocols, the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Arms Act 1959, National Tiger Conservation Authority standard operating procedures were all violated by the hunter,” said a senior NTCA officer who did not want to be named.