Chandrapur: Forest officials of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) arrested four people and seized 12 tiger whiskers being smuggled out of the tiger project at Padmapur gate.
According to the information, Moharli Forest Range (buffer zone) of TATR, Padmapur gate is the entry point of TATR from Chandrapur. Foresters posted at the gate intercepted two persons on two wheeler coming from Moharli in Tadoba and searched their belongings. To their surprise, they recovered 12 whiskers of the tiger in their possession.
During the course of investigation the accused told that they were heading for Chandrapur where they had made a deal with some people for sale of the whiskers.
The accused also mentioned two more names of people involved in the racket. They too were arrested during the day by the forest team of Moharli range.
All the four accused have been identified as Narendra Choudhari, Suhash Pendalwar, Kailash Dadmal and Manoj Shende. Officials claimed that they belong to Mudholi and Bhamdheli villages in the buffer zone ofTATR. Both the villages are located at the outskirts of the core zone.
The accused also revealed the location where the tiger died after contacting live wire traps installed illegally at the farmland of Bandu Shrirame, a villager of Mudholi.
Accused Kailash Dadmal and Bandu Shrirame allegedly removed whiskers and nails from the tiger and buried the animal aged around 4-5- years near a farmland in village Mudholi. Further investigation in this connection is on.
