Shoot-at-sight order against poachers at Corbett Tiger Reserve

This operation will involve sharp shooters, who have already been placed at several vantage points. A total of 388 cameras have been monitoring every movement in and around the forest.  Two night vision drones have been deployed as well and to top it all, 150 forest workers are also keeping their eyes open.

Tiger poaching has become a menace inside The Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. Legendary field biologist George Schaller had even stated a few days ago that Corbett National Park is most vulnerable to poaching for international trading. This is because it is very close to the Nepal border. That is a massive trade link to the Chinese traditional medicine market.  

Now The Corbett Tiger Reserve has issued a shoot-at-sight order against the poachers. Corbett Tiger Reserve director Parag Madhukar Dhakate issued the order on Tuesday but this order will be carried out only if the poachers are carrying arms with them. Self-defence is the only way they can exercise the power.

“We received some inputs from the intelligence agencies following which we began an anti-poaching operation. We have sealed the entry points on the northern and southern borders. Forest workers have been ordered to instantly shoot any poacher or hunter seen with arms in the core critical tiger habitat zone,” Dhakate was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

Reports of the tiger census data suggested that Uttarakhand has the second highest population after Karnataka. The tiger population has gone up in the last couple of years and the poachers are taking advantage of this situation.

This operation will involve sharp shooters, who have already been placed at several vantage points. 388 cameras have been monitoring every movement in and around the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Two night vision drones have been deployed as well and to top it all, 150 forest workers are also keeping their eyes open.