On trail of missing tigress, Rajasthan officials nab boar poacher

On trail of missing tigress ST5, forest staff nabbed a suspected poacher from Khareta village in Alwar district, officials said Saturday.

Chabbeg Singh alias Chikki was arrested following a raid Thursday night, they said. A local court on Saturday remanded him in three day custody of forest department officials.

ST5 has been missing since February.

Chief conservator of forest and field director, Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), Govind Sagar Bhardwaj said they received information about suspected poacher being present at Khareta village with tiger parts. A team raided the village and took Chabbeg in their custody. During questioning, he accepted that have poached a wild boar.

After ST5 went missing, suspected poachers killed tiger ST11 in Indhok forest area on the night of March 19. Forest officials are still searching for ST5. They even undertook month long campaign and claim that they received signals from the tigress’ radio collar. Officials are hopeful that they may be able to track the missing tigress.

Meanwhile, former deputy conservator of STR, Balaji Kari, who was asked to enquire into the poaching of ST11, has indicted range officials for negligence. In a report, Kari said that assistant conservator of forest Surendra Singh Dhakad, ranger Gazanfari Zaidi and beat guard Shambhu Dayal did not do patrolling daily in the area. Had they been alert, ST11 could’ve been saved, the report said.