NGOs protest against Maharashtra's shoot-at-sight order for tigress

A group of animal welfare organisations protested against Maharashtra Forest Department's recent shoot-at-sight orders for a man-eater tigress in Pandharkawda forest.

The non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which staged the protest included People for Animals, Friends of Snakes and World Wildlife Fund.

A wildlife conservation activist, Swetha, told ANI, "We are protesting against the shoot-at-sight orders given to kill the tigress which has killed 14 people in the state. Both the department and the court has given orders to tranquilise the animal or else kill it. A local hunter has been hired by the state government. We don't want this to happen. If the department is planning to do such things, then they should hire their own people and should not encourage hunters. If hunting is allowed, then you are just encouraging people to be hunters. This should not happen."

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The activist stated that the tigress has two nine-month-old cubs, who cannot hunt themselves and need their mother to feed them, and shooting the animal is not a good decision.

Thanking the central government for allowing them to stage the protest, Swetha continued, "We would like to thank Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi for supporting us in protecting animal life."

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Imran Siddiqui, a tiger biologist from the Hyderabad tiger conservative society also chided the Maharashtra government and said that the issue should be dealt in a sensitive way to prevent any harm to animals and humans.

He told ANI, "We are protesting against the way the tiger is being dealt with in the state. The professional shooter has no respect for wildlife animals. The Maharashtra government has their own staff who are good in handling these kinds of situations. This issue should be dealt with in a sensitive manner." 

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