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Tiger sighting likely to bring menace of poachers with it

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Forest officials hold meet with residents of Rampur village

Gujarat forest officials are concerned that tiger sighting in Gujarat after a long gap of 30 years may bring with it the menace of poachers.

Officials have deployed additional personnel to sight and track the beast’s movements in the Mahisagar district of Gujarat, since getting confirmation of its presence from a trap camera on February 13.

Gujarat forest department has deployed additional 200 personnel, including trackers, to maintain tiger’s sightings. Besides senior officials, these men have been given additional task of interacting with villages in the 40 km stretch where there have been maximum sightings. Village-level meetings are conducted to inform the locals about tiger behaviour, teach them how to stay out of its way and most of all keep an eye for suspicious movement of people not from around there.

Officials are also setting up information network of villagers who could immediately inform them about tiger sightings or suspicious movement.

Talking about the sensitisation drive, Deputy Conservator of Forest R M Parmar said, “We have intensified our patrols throughout the forest area with focus on a 40-km stretch from where maximum sightings were reported.

We are informing villagers about possible threats, how to remain safe from the predator and how to get in touch with the department in case of any sighting. We are meeting village leaders and conducting meets even at hamlet level.”

Talking about the forest department exercise, environmental enthusiast Pratik Jain said, “Department has got active in the last few days. They have been patrolling on all possible routes round-the-clock. I have also observed many foresters and guards stationed at critical locations 24x7.”

Tiger in Gujarat since November 2017

Officials had received unconfirmed reports of tiger sighting since November 2017 after the Madhya Pradesh officials tracking it from Ratapani lost its track near Jabhua, which is about 50 km from the border of MP and Gujarat.

A senior official said, in absence of any confirmation, no announcement was made about it though Gujarat officials had paid visit to Jabhua to hold discussions with their Madhya Pradesh counterparts.

A tiger or "streak" of tigers?

Locals of the area have claimed sightings of a tigress along with her two cubs, giving rise to speculation that there could be a tiger, a tigress and two cubs in Gujarat. However, there has been no confirmation from the forest officials.

Forest dept to compensate for loss of livestock

As part of the sensitisation drive, the forest department officials are distributing pamphlets to locals about the precautionary measures to be taken and compensation payable in case of loss of livestock to tiger attack.


Forest department will pay compensation of Rs 30,000 for loss of cow and buffalo, Rs 3,000 for sheep and goat, Rs 25,000 for horse, camel and ox and Rs 16,000 for donkey and calf.

The pamphlet advises people living in the Gadh taluka to avoid going in forest area after sunset unless it is unavoidable. If it is very important they must go in a group of 3-4 persons. While walking through the forest or farms, they must speak loudly and keep a torch in hand.

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Tiger sightings concentrated between Gadh and Santrampur

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