NTCA team to probe tiger deaths in UP's Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

After the probe by the Uttar Pradesh government, it is now the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) that will also probe the death of four tigers at the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in Uttar Pradesh, the government agency said.

An NTCA team, comprising retired IFS officer Shailesh Prasad, wildlife conservationist R K Singh and NTCA official Hemant Singh, are expected to reach DTR on Monday.

The NTCA has asked the team to submit its report within 15 days, said a letter by Md. Sajid Sultan, Assistant Inspector General of Forest (NTCA).

Prasad, who retired as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and had served in the DTR as a field director for several years, will be heading the inquiry committee, the retired IFS officer confirmed.

The committee has been asked to find out the reasons and circumstances that led to the tiger casualties and ascertain if the standard operating procedure (SOP) and guidelines of the NTCA were observed while managing the 'conflict situations'.

The four tiger deaths were reported between April 21 and June 9.

An investigation by the probe team headed by Forest Minister Arun Saxena said the cause of deaths was 'infighting' between the animals as was confirmed by the post-mortem reports of three tigers.

This team will be handing over its report to the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

NTCA was constituted under section 38 L (1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted for strengthening tiger conservation, as per powers and functions assigned to it under the Act.