In a tragic incident in the Shyampur range of Haridwar forest division, poachers allegedly poisoned two tiger siblings—a two-year-old male and a two-year-old tigress—cut off their legs and planned to skin them for the illegal wildlife trade, forest officials said. One Van Gujjar has been arrested, while three others are absconding. The mother tigress remains missing as multiple forest teams continue to search the area.
Discovery of the Carcasses
Forest department teams recovered the body of the male tiger from Sajanpur beat on Monday evening. The tigress's body was found on Tuesday afternoon from a seasonal drain near the same spot. According to officials, the accused allegedly laced buffalo meat with poison after the mother tigress likely killed a Van Gujjar's buffalo a day earlier. Subsequently, they mutilated the two young tigers.
Arrests and Absconding Accused
The arrested accused has been identified as Alam alias Ammi, 50. Forest officials named three others—Amir Hamza alias Miyan, Ashiq and Juppi—as absconding. All four are Van Gujjars and lived in an illegal Van Gujjar dera in Shyampur range, approximately 1 km from where the carcasses were recovered.
Investigation Details
Divisional forest officer of Haridwar forest division, Swapnil Anirudh, told TOI that the case came to light after forest staff noticed suspicious movement. “Abnormal movement of the accused Van Gujjars was spotted on Monday by our forest guard, who informed senior officials. After that, a sudden raid was conducted and the body of a male tiger was recovered in the evening. We arrested one accused and produced him before the court, from where he was sent to judicial custody,” he said.
Anirudh added that the second carcass was recovered during the continuing search. “Three more names have surfaced in the case; they are absconding and we are trying to nab them. During the search, the second body of the tigress was also recovered from the same location on Tuesday afternoon. We found pug marks of their mother and our teams are tracking the tigress,” he said.
Poaching for Illegal Wildlife Trade
Officials stated that the initial probe points to poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. “Initial investigation revealed that they cut off their legs and planned to skin them for sale in the international market. Senior officials also visited the crime scene and further investigation is on,” Anirudh said.
Location and Tiger Population
Shyampur range lies close to the Chilla range of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, which has a significant tiger presence. The area functions as a buffer between wildlife habitat and residential areas of Haridwar. There are around 51 tigers in Rajaji Tiger Reserve, with most inhabiting Chilla range, which is near Shyampur.
