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BIJNOR: District’s Najibabad forest division has become a haven for poachers hailing mostly from nomadic Bawariya and Kanjar tribes with many of them illegally living in the protected zone. As there is no natural barrier with the adjoining forest areas of Haridwar and Rajaji National Park and Corbett National Park in neighbouring Uttarakhand, both wildlife and poachers move about freely between the two states.

Lack of proper patrolling facilitates poachers to kill big cats like tigers in Corbett and hide in neighbouring UP. The recent discovery of a tiger skin and bones near Kotkadar in Bijnor's Nagina area is a case in point. Forest officials and STF sleuths confirmed that the tiger was killed in Corbett.

Divisional forest officer of Bijnor M Semmaran explained, “Najibabad division is a reserve forest area. But it is not a sanctuary. Therefore, rules and regulations applied in a sanctuary area cannot be enforced here. Also we are understaffed and cannot patrol the whole division regularly. Once it is declared a sanctuary, infrastructure and other facilities will be available to us to keep track of poachers. And it will be easier to patrol the area and monitor activities of outsiders.”

A forest department official who did not wish to be named, said, “There are some small hamlets in the forest area where Van Gujjars and other nomads live. They know every inch of the forest and movement of wildlife there. They pass on this information to poachers who come and sometimes stay with them and kill tigers and other animals.”

Semmaran said, “We are keeping a watch on the activities of nomads and have banned their entry in the forest where there movement of tigers. In Amangarh Tiger Reserve area (in Bijnor), I have put my staff on alert.”