Red alert in Nallamala for tiger hunters

​Atmakuru: A red alert has been declared in the Nallamala forest following reports of a team of notorious tiger hunters, including a woman from Haryana entered the forest to kill the big cats.

Three strangers, including a woman were already reported to be found moving from one tribal hamlet to another in the garb of toy sellers.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) at Delhi alerted the Divisional Forest Officer Selvam about the poachers.

DFOs from all forests descended in the Nallamala region in search of the trio—Leelavati, Pappu and Lakshmichand. Armed with the photos of the trio the DFOs are combing the forest. The base camp has been put on high alert.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority also warned the forest officials about the hunters. Divisional forest officers of Prakasam and Kurnool districts of the Nallamala region pressed into service anti-poaching squads and sniffer dogs into service.

It may be recalled that in 1998, a woman leader of the hunting gang, Rani Saheba, was arrested and later tried. Their modus operandi is to kill tigers using heavy iron traps, heavy clutch wires and iron nets.

This time, the gang of hunters is reported to have poisoned water holes to kill the big cats.In the global market, a tiger skin fetches Rs 70 lakh. Tiger’s body parts are said to be used in preparing aphrodisiacs. Carcasses of tigers are exported to China from Tibet and Nepal.

Of the 10,416 sq km of the Nallamala forest region, tigers sanctuary is spread over 3,568 sq km. In the Nagarjunasagar- Srisailam Tiger Reserve, there are nearly 100 tigers.

Of them, 50 are in Atmakuru forest division of the Nallamala forest area. The Forest Division had obtained orders from the Centre to shoot the hunters if spotted.