On the 4th November 2018, headlines filled main stream media and social media around the world reporting that the female mother tigress of two, 9 month old cubs, T1 of Maharashtra ( labelled a so called man eater), was shot dead yesterday. While some specific authorities in India may feel this is cause for celebration, the truth is it is a disgraceful farce and a tragic loss fueled by mass hysteria and the willingness of three pivotal men in positions of power to condemned Avni to death. These men named by #LetAvniLive on the below picture are,
1) Mishra – who signed the orders to shoot Avni and other wildlife,
2) Shafath – the hunter contracted to kill her but failed, and his own son shot Avni down- illegaly, and
3) Minister Mungantiwar who ensured Avni would be shot dead.
Photo by #LetAvniLive Photo by AFP from article https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/maneka-gandhi-slams-maharashtra-government-for-t1s-murder/articleshow/66503854.cms
This was without a doubt a witch hunt of epic proportions that rivals the proven frame job which was done on the male tiger T24 of Rathambhore, otherwise known as Ustad , (meaning expert or highly skilled). Ustad who was named a “man eater” by highly suspect Ranthambhore authorities, was saved from the bullet after a raging world wide campaign, he was tranquilized, instead of the initial kill talk, and now lives in captivity at Sajjangarh zoo, innocent.. Tigress T1 of Maharashtra, affectionately known as Avni (meaning “The Earth”), was subjected to the same hysterical falsities that Ustad was. On both occasions there was no absolute proof either one was responsible for any human deaths.
The tragic shoot to kill order on Avni annihilated the life of a mother tiger, leaving her two 9 month old cubs alone, but also in this “Coporate Allocated”the area is the father of these cubs and more animals. The tragedy of Avni unfolded over an approximate 10 month period of time, where it was loudly said by the Maharashtra authorities that Avni killed 13 people, however there was no definitive evidence of this. These days in India, the word “man eater” is thrown around loosely at any given moment for a tiger that may be suspected of killing a human.
A true man eater is usually a tiger that is ill or injured. But although they may be ill or injured, they are still survival specialists through and through and the will take down the easiest prey in their weakened state. Humans are the weakest and easiest living being of all for a Apex predator. Then there is the fact that most tigers that kill humans are actually caused by humans illegally encroaching into the tiger habitat, and this fact doesn’t seem to matter too much to authorities and usually goes completely un-noticed. Another fact that goes virtually unnoticed is that so many people choose all by themselves to wander off into the forest homes of the tigers alone even when they know the dangers. Then there is the complete lack knowledge, (or ignorance or lack of care) by certain Government personal. They know clearly there is a dire human over population situation with children being born into poverty. Adults living in severe poverty giving birth to not one or two children, but up to 10 children born into poverty. Human beings move like a bacteria, overtaking its host, in this case the earth. The American Museum of Natural History has released a very telling video on this. Please watch – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUwmA3Q0_OE If we stay on this path that we humans have been walking and destroying for all these years, all countries will eventually kill all wildlife and destroy all the environment, which humans need for our own survival. Even now wars have broken out for water supplies.
From actions so far in India and many other countries, there seems to be little or no understanding or sheer ignorance of the link between the health of the environment and flourishing wildlife to the health and survival of humans in some Governments, corporations and some people. Its crushing devastation, and now with numerous cases of so called “man eater” tigers, the answer almost always is a bullet, no investigations needed, just a bullet. The rapid condemnation and death of a Tiger labelled a “man eater, whether it is or not, is a long seen pattern in India. For any tiger that has the misfortune of running into humans illegally encroaching and stealing from the tigers and other animals rightful homes, the Tiger will always be the one blamed for behaving natural when faced in its own home/territory.
In India, there is so few wildlife corridors for the tigers to move (this also includes every other range state the tiger sub species occupies internationally) and there is an obvious zero political will to remedy this terrible situation. India, who seems to reinforce proudly at any possible time they can, that their nation has the greatest numbers of tigers on earth, needs a massive wake up call. With these repeated hysterical “man eater must die” situations being so frequent, India may very soon experience the loss of their greatest asset, the Royal Bengal Tiger.
From conservationists on the ground in India, the latest population count reported by the Government is said to be greatly exaggerated. Many believe there are only a maximum of 1000 Bengal Tigers left in India.
Avni did not need to die, but the authorities that damned her needed her to die. It has come to light that Avni, her cubs, the father of the cubs and a few more animals are living in forest land that is allotted for corporate plans.
What this means is that any and all measures are taken to ensure that the animals occupying an allocated forest land for corporate measures must be removed in one way or another, and as we have all learnt from previous fake “man eater” episodes, there will be excuses and stories molded to fit the authorities real intentions, and the truth will be hidden.
In the case of Avni, in January 2018 it was said she killed someone. There was no proof of this. However, the next reported killing by Avni was August 2018, and again there was no proof she did it. THIS IS NOT THE ACTIONS OF A MAN EATER. Yes, Avni has/had cubs, and yes of course she would be extremely protective of them, so the running story of hyping up her aggression is blatant propaganda. If a you posed a threat or danger to any mother’s children, whether they be human or animal, you will face the wrath of the mothers inbuilt protection instinct. This also DOES NOT make Avni a “man eater” or “an abnormal aggressive tigress”. It makes her normal.
But what about the illegal encroachment into the forest, what about the fact that there is no absolute proof that Avni killed these people, what about the other Tigers and animals living in this area? Will we soon start hearing about another man eating tiger, or a man eating deer?? Yes it is that ridiculous and pathetic.
The Maharashtra Government showed no will to protect their critically endangered Royal Bengal mother Tigress, and they ensured she was killed. The Maharashtra Government is also guilty of leaving two 9 month old cubs out in the wild. Tiger cubs need to stay with their mothers for at least 18 months – 2 years to learn survival skills. Right now, its looking very bleak for these cubs survival.
If this is allocated corporate land, what is the Maharashtra Government going to do with the rest of the Tigers and animals who live there?
Lets talk about the hunter called into shoot Avni – an expert? I highly doubt this man Shafath is anything but expert. 10 months and he couldn’t dart her. Either he is a pathetic shot or he is plainly an inadequate marksman.
On the 19th of September 2018, Cee4life wrote to the Maharashtra Government offering our assistance to safely dart Avni and her cubs and help with creation of a large sanctuary for Tigers that were deemed either true dangerous tigers or the growing number of falsely accused tigers. Below is the letter that Cee4life wrote to the Maharashtra Government.
We did not get a reply from them at all. We can only imagine why, but this type of inaction only adds fuel to an already a burning bonfire.
Although there were massive protests to save Avni’s life from around the world and the wonderful work of the Indian conservationists, the Maharashtra Government were on a one way track mindset to kill Avni.
It is nothing less than a shocking, disgraceful tragedy with no conservation or protection value at all.
In a world when the entire population of all tiger subspecies is only approximately 3000, Avni it seems, was killed for no other reason than the want and will of three men to frame and kill her.
We also sent a polite email to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), whom in the past had brilliant leaders who would act. But now those leaders are gone, and the NTCA were not there for Avni either. Why? They had the power to stop this but they didn’t.
This leaves an obvious question which quite frankly many already know the answer to: Is there people in positions of authority that are so unqualified and irresponsible that the do not have the slightest understanding of the vital importance to protect the Apex predators and the critical role they play in the balance of the ecosystems? Is there any understanding of any other animal and the forests and rivers of India? Or could it be that the allure of $$$ signs and lining pockets to ensure corporate allocated land goes ahead instead as a priority instead of protecting the last of the critically endangered species (and law protected) and the last precious wildlife and forests of India?
The loss of Avni has the world grieving on so many levels.
Now we wait to see what will become of the two orphaned cubs and the rest of the Tigers and animals in this corporate allocated forest.
Meanwhile, the human overpopulation and mass poverty continues in the Indian forests – The Land of the Tigers
Media contact – cee4lifeinc@outlook.com