The Government of Goa has said that villagers living in the tiger territory in the state will be shifted elsewhere to avoid man-animal conflict.This comes after an unprecedented death of four tigers in the state earlier this week.?
The four carcasses were found a day apart from each other in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary near Golavli village in Sattari.?
It all began on Sunday when a four-year-old Royal Bengal tiger was found dead in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. The body which was in a highly decomposed state had its claws missing, triggering speculations that it was killed by poachers.?
However, as investigations into the death continued Goa Forest officials stumbled up on another carcass nearby, this time a cub. In the next two days, two more carcasses were found from adjoining areas.?
And the reason behind all the four deaths was the same - poisoning.According to forest officials, the tiger family was caught on camera trap a few days before they were killed near a human settlement.?
It is believed that the tigers were poisoned by villagers in a 'revenge attack' after the big cats killed some cattle.Four people Vitho Zipo Pawne, Nalo Nago Pawne, Bombo Nago Pawne, and Jyotiba Pawane have been attested in connection with the incident.?
Following the four tiger deaths which shocked the state, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he has asked the state forest department to identify the villages that lie within the territory of big cats."I have already asked the forest department to identify the human habitats within the territory of tigers so that people can be rehabilitated to avoid man-animal conflict," he said.?
Meanwhile even as outrage continue, Goa Health minister and Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane opposed the demand by environmental activists to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve and suggested that there should be a tiger corridor to facilitate the movement of the big cats from Karnataka.?
¡°We support a tiger corridor. The government must ensure that a buffer zone is left and a tiger corridor is created. A tiger reserve will impact our development. The laws governing tiger reserves are very strict. The development will get stalled,¡± he said. ¡°No one has the right to declare a tiger reserve. It is the people¡¯s land. A tiger corridor is necessary,¡± he added.?
According to the latest data available, the forest officials had spotted up to six tigers in Goa. The number could vary as the tigers often travel back and forth between the Goa and adjoining areas of Karnataka.
The killing of four tigers has once again highlighted the alarming cost of human-animal conflicts. As their natural habitat and corridors get encroached by humans, wild animals are coming into increasing conflict with humans, and often with deadly consequences like this.??