The seizure of 168 kilograms tiger bones and seven tiger pelts in two separate seizures in Nepal during January this year has raised concern about the possibility of the contraband having been sourced from India. While those involved in wildlife in Uttarakhand fear that the tiger pelts and bones may have been sourced from this State, those working at the national level have advocated a joint investigation involving India, Nepal and China to establish the source of this wildlife contraband.

On January 11, Nepal police had arrested two persons with two tiger pelts and 53 kilograms tiger bones in Gorkha district when the duo was trying to smuggle the items to Tibet. The next day, two persons were arrested in Nuwakot district with five tiger pelts and 114 kilogram tiger bones being transported towards the Chinese border.

Former vice chairman of Uttarakhand’s Forest and Environment Advisory Committee Anil Baluni lambasted the State authorities for not taking timely cognisance of these seizures, especially as it is known that big cats are poached in Uttarakhand, their pelts and body parts smuggled through Nepal to meet the demand in China. “The previous BJP-led State Government had established communication with Nepal on wildlife issues especially the illegal wildlife trade. However, this has not been continued and the level of wildlife protection in the State has been deteriorating,” he averred. “I have repeatedly elicited the focus of the Central and State Governments on the need for concrete measures for addressing the wildlife crime link between Uttarakhand and Nepal but the authorities have remained apathetic,” Baluni added.

While the State anti-poaching cell chief SK Dutt said that he has sought information about the seizures, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau regional deputy director (northern region) Arvind Jha informed The Pioneer that a team deputed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests was to visit Nepal following the seizures, but the team had for some reason not been able to visit the

neighbouring country yet.

The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) programme manager (New Delhi) Tito Joseph said, “Though I have not heard about the source of the tiger pelts and bones, considering the fact that wildlife contraband from India is smuggled to China through the Indo-China trade route via Nepal, the three nations should conduct a joint investigation to establish the source of the contraband. The South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) formed in 2011 with its secretariat in Nepal could also play a vital role in such an investigation,” he said. Joseph further added that the Wildlife Institute of India has camera trap pictures of all the tigers counted in the national tiger census which could prove useful to ascertain whether the pelts seized in Nepal were of Indian tigers.

While the authorities consider establishing the source of the tiger pelts and bones, activists in Uttarakhand maintain that there is a strong possibility that the pelts and bones were of tigers poached in this State.