The recent death of an adult tigress and its four cubs — due to poisoning at the Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka — has not only shocked conservationists but has raised pertinent questions on the wildlife protection machinery and environmental governance prevailing in the State.
In the immediate aftermath of the preliminary investigation, three people were arrested and a few officials were sent on leave — actions aimed at conveying the administration’s resolve to act decisively.
Besides, two investigations are currently under way, one by the Karnataka Forest Department and another by a committee constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Both committees have been given 14 days time to submit their reports.
It is being argued that they should not only investigate the immediate lapses that led to the tiger deaths, but also take a broader view of the systemic and administrative issues that resulted in such a tragedy, which is reflective of a deeper malaise within the department.
Multiple concerns need to be addressed, including whether there was a larger network of poachers at work, shortage of manpower for protection duties, delay in release of wages to the frontline staff, which may impact jungle patrolling, delay in release of compensation to the victims in case of conflict with wildlife, among others.
Experts also point to another gaping flaw in the system: it is the failure to secure the conviction of those responsible for killing wild animals. The conviction rates are so poor that the law does not act as a deterrent anymore to prevent “revenge killings’’ or even poaching.
For instance, in February 2023, a tiger was found poisoned, its limbs tethered to a stone and its body dumped in a tank in Bandipur. However, more than two years later, the case has seen no progress. In fact, elephant deaths due to electrocution in Karnataka are more rampant than tiger deaths.
According to official statistics, of the 291 elephants that died in the State between 2021-22 and August 2024, as many as 30 were electrocuted and six were poached. Reports of wild animals being trapped in snares have emerged from the MM Hills, Bandipur, Nagarahole, and other regions in recent times. Yet, in most cases, authorities have hit a dead end and have made little progress to result in convictions.
It is true that human-animal conflict is intensifying across Karnataka, with crop depredation by elephants and livestock killings by tigers or leopards on the rise. But these conflicts have also been exacerbated by flawed policies — delays in compensation being a clear indicator.
According to statistics from the Karnataka Forest Department, 35,580 conflict cases were reported during 2024-25. Compensation was approved in only 20,147 cases, while 14,245 cases remained pending. In addition, 918 cases were denied compensation.
Karnataka takes pride in its tiger and elephant populations as markers of the success of conservation initiatives. With an estimated 563 tigers, according to the 2022 census, Karnataka also harbours nearly 6,400 elephants as per 2023 data, the highest in the country. But conservation cannot be about numbers alone while ignoring the inherent contradictions in policies that undermine the environmental gains.
The reversal in the government’s stance on Goa-Tamnar power transmission line that cuts through Kali Tiger Reserve — a project which the forest department had rejected in 2024; the Sharavathi storage project which threatens to fragment the Western Ghats ecosystem, clearances to mini hydel projects in sensitive areas, linear projects cutting through areas where human-wildlife conflict is high are a few examples that cast doubt on the State’s commitment to environmental protection.
This is because such projects inevitably lead to habitat encroachment, fragmentation, and disturbance, forcing wildlife to stray into human landscapes, aggravating conflict situations. The deaths of five tigers in the MM Hills should be viewed against the backdrop of such policy inconsistencies, which reflect a deeper malaise in environmental governance.
Now that committees are probing the incident, it remains to be seen whether they will merely assign blame or work to fix the system.
Published – July 03, 2025 01:37 am IST