On "brutal murder" of Tigress Avni, irate Maneka Gandhi lashes out at Maharashtra forests minister and questions use of alleged mass-wildlife killer. Read here

An irate Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has taken on Maharashtra government for "brutal murder" of 6-year-old tigress Avni, who was shot de with an alleged ‘man-eater’ claim on vember 2. 

mor of two nine-month-old cubs from Yavatmal district near Nagpur was shot by Asghar Ali, son of hunter Shafat Ali, who believed along with Forest Department and villrs, that she was a ‘man-eater’ after deaths of at least 13 people over period of 18 months.   

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Maneka Gandhi, an animal-rights activist and environmentalist herself, through a series tweets expressed her grief at ‘murder’ of Royal Bengal Tigress. Condemning Forest Minister of Maharashtra, she called this an act of crime, expressed her disgust at act, going on to blame hunter Shafat Ali Khan for killing 3 tigers, 10 leopards, a few elephants and 300 wild boars in Chandrapur district, close to Nagpur, calling him anti-national. 

She included Chief Minister Devendra Fnavis into loop of tweets and promised to take this matter up legally, criminally and politically. 

Back in September, SC h permitted Avni to be shot at sight, provoking a burst of petitions seeking pardon for feline with two young cubs. 

In last two months, government h spent almost Rs 60-70 lakhs on search operations. Forest department h hired elephants, rmal drones, perfumes, sniffer dogs, paraglider, more than hundred trap cameras. More than 200 people including private & forest department shooters were involved in search operations. Though every time, Avni somehow mand to elude to capture in camera. But on Friday, shooters sighted her in 149 Borati and killed her.

PETA India too released a statement saying that illegal killing was persued to satisfy hunter's lust for blood, pain, and simple, in possible contempt of court. y also ded that she may t have died instantly but slowly, through pain and blood loss, and likely in front of her w orphaned and vulnerable cubs in apparent violation of Wildlife Protection Act and guidelines of National Tiger Conservation Authority. This encourd that matter must be investigated and treated as a wildlife crime. Wher sanctioned by state or t, body can be above law. y called this a dark day for nation and that we must hang our hes in shame w, and again if this killing goes unpunished.

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Wildlife Conservation Trust President Anish Andheria laid down anthropogenic threats that are alrey pushing Royal Bengal Tiger to brink. 

big cat faces poaching to cater to international markets, secondly poaching of prey for consumption of locals and threat of forest degration caused by uncontrolled grazing, fuelwood collection and man-induced forest fires. Ar emerging threat is that of forest fragmentation led by developmental projects. And finally, retaliatory killing with mounting animal-man conflict.

current Royal Bengal Tiger census of country is approximately 2000.