New Delhi: NGOs may have been blaming
China for the fuelling demand for tiger bones and parts but
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the neighbouring
country should not be held responsible for death of big cats.
"We cannot hold China responsible for tiger deaths in
our country because our own people are involved in killing the
animal. Poaching, poisoning and smuggling are happening in
India itself," Ramesh told reporters here.
He stressed on strengthening monitoring at all level
particularly at the inter-country borders to save the tigers
whose numbers have dwindled to 1,411 in the country as per
recent official estimate.
"I have been talking to the neighbouring nations like
Nepal and China and steps are being taken to step up action
against smuggling while at home efforts are ensured to empower
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to nab the poachers," he said in
reply to a query.
Ramesh also said that tiger habitats were threatened
by the mining mafia, real estate mafia in a conspiracy with
local political interests who does not want the big cat to
survive.
Poaching and smuggling of tigers fuelled by China`s
incessant demand for tiger parts has been a thorny issue
between New Delhi and Beijing. Incidentally, the issue had
dominated Ramesh`s first visit to China as environment
minister in August last year.
Tiger expert Belinda Wright of Wildlife Protection
Society of India has blamed China for failing to curb
smuggling in tiger bones and parts leading to deaths of the
big cats in the wild.
-PTI
