THE TIMES OF INDIA
Mazhar Ali, TNN, Dec 8, 2010

CHANDRAPUR: While Chandrapur boasts of being the tiger capital of Central India, little is talked about the loss of 28 tigers from the jungles here in a span of last two years.

While 21 tigers have been either poached, killed in accidents, died natural death or have 'disappeared', seven have been moved from the wild and put into zoos after being rescued since November 2008. The death of two tigers within the span of a week has again raised a question mark over the measures implemented for protection and conservation of tigers in the district.

In November 2008, two cubs were rescued from the forests of Mendki under South Bramhapuri forest range. Their mother had gone missing and was never traced. One of these cubs died during treatment. Year 2009 witnessed deaths, disappearance and poaching of 15 tigers in the district. On January 23, 2009, three cubs from FDCM Junona range were rescued after their mother went missing. On February 21, wildlife activist found tiger bones near Devada village in TATR. Later, a raid was carried out on the residence of one Ragho Kulmethe in Devada on the basis of intelligence given by NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and tiger bones were recovered. The DNA testing of bones recovered from Kulmethe and those recovered from the jungle near Devada did not match, suggesting death of two different tigers. Later, on February 26, another tiger from Bhanuskhindi area in TATR was found dead. On March 18, foresters seized 10 tiger nails from poachers near Bhadrawati and investigations revealed that it was poached at the boundary of TATR in the winter of 2008.

Between March 24 and 28, 2009, three tiger cubs were found dead near Adyalmendha under Balapur FDCM. However, official figures say only two cubs had died.. 

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