Ranthambore Field Director Anoop K. R., in a report to the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, noted: “A few bones have been identified as that of a tiger. As part of further investigation to determine their origin, the joint team of MP and Rajasthan forest departments is working in close coordination.”Due to its proximity to Sheopur, Ranthambore is the most likely source of the poached tigers. In contrast, Madhavgarh Tiger Reserve lies over 100 km away, and Panna Tiger Reserve is approximately 300 km from Sheopur.According to official records, five tigers from Ranthambore — T79, T131, T138, T139, and T2401 — have gone missing under suspicious circumstances between June 2022 and May 2024. The missing animals include two females and three males, aged between 3 and 12 years. Sources also claim that during interrogation, the accused confessed to having killed five tigers from Ranthambore between 2002 and 2004.Officials suspect the gang as a part of a wider international poaching network with links to other tiger reserves across India and to countries such as Nepal and Myanmar.It is also believed that the group received payments via digital channels and hawala networks in exchange for killing tigers.The DNA matching process at NCBS is expected to take a few weeks. Once complete, it could conclusively establish whether Ranthambore’s missing tigers fell victims to poachers — a finding that may have significant implications for wildlife protection efforts in the region.
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