Jaipur: Tigers from Ranthambore National Park (RNP) remain highly vulnerable to poaching, particularly when they stray beyond the protected boundaries of the park. Investigations following the arrest of six poachers, three of whom are from Rajasthan, revealed that all three tigers, whose body parts were seized, originated from RNP.In this context, the Rajasthan Forest Department received official correspondence from the Madhya Pradesh Forest authorities, requesting DNA samples to match the confiscated tiger parts with the existing DNA records of Ranthambore’s tiger population. A senior forest official said, “We received the correspondence, and a response will be provided after due examination. Rajasthan is actively pursuing the matter, and the forest team, in collaboration with the local NGO Tiger Watch, played a crucial role in nabbing the poachers.”Sources said the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) was involved in DNA analysis concerning Ranthambore tigers. “If the tigers are indeed from Rajasthan, it will be confirmed through forensic examination,” the source added. An official source said, “The poaching incidents appear to be recent, as interrogation revealed that a leopard was killed during the Holi period and a tiger around six months prior to that, both in Rajasthan.”Wildlife experts confirmed that there has been no recorded movement of tigers from Madhya Pradesh along this corridor.Ajay Dubey, a wildlife expert and RTI activist pursuing the case, said, “The poached tigers are believed to have used the Kuno–Madhav–Ranthambore corridor, a crucial wildlife passage linking Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. However, for a long time, no tiger movement from Madhya Pradesh has been documented—only tigers from Rajasthan are known to traverse this route. Given that the poaching network spans multiple states and is suspected to be part of a larger international trafficking operation, a CBI inquiry must be conducted to uncover the masterminds behind it.“Alarmingly, between June 2022 and May 2024, five tigers from Ranthambore—T79, T131, T138, T139, and T2401—went missing under suspicious circumstances, raising strong fears of poaching. These included two females and three males, aged between 3 and 12 years at the time of their disappearance.
