Guwahati, Mar 22: A major poaching incident has exposed glaring lapses in the security of Manas National Park. A Royal Bengal Tiger was killed inside the protected area, and its body parts were smuggled out—an alarming fact that only came to light when four of the tiger’s teeth were recovered from a shop in Bodo Bazar, Baksa district, on March 18.
A special operation by forest officials led to the arrest of four suspected poachers—Pranen Narzary, Finister Basumatary, Bimal Basumatary, and Sanjeev Mushahary—from different locations in Baksa district.
During their interrogation, they revealed the location of the tiger’s teeth, leading to the shocking confirmation that a tiger had been illegally hunted inside the national park.
Wildlife conservationists and environmental activists have reacted with outrage over the incident, calling it a massive failure of the park’s anti-poaching mechanisms.
Dilip Nath, an environmental activist from Dhekiajuli, strongly criticized the forest department, stating, “It is appalling that forest officials were completely unaware of the killing of a Royal Bengal Tiger within the park they are supposed to protect.
If they learned about it only after finding the teeth in a shop, it speaks volumes about the inefficiency of their surveillance and patrolling efforts.” Nath further emphasized that the poachers should have been intercepted before they could even enter the park, saying, “This incident proves that security measures in Manas National Park are inadequate.
How could a poaching gang not only enter a protected area but also kill a tiger and smuggle out its body parts without detection?” The activist also demanded immediate accountability, calling on Assam’s Forest Minister to seek an explanation from officials on how and when the poachers infiltrated the park.
“I will write to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, urging strict action against those responsible for this failure,” Nath added. The poaching of Royal Bengal Tigers remains a serious threat to conservation efforts in India. With this latest case exposing a major security lapse, wildlife activists are pressing for stronger anti-poaching measures, better vigilance, and strict action against negligent officials.
