Maharashtra’s Forest and Police departments have issued a joint circular directing officials to improve coordination, share information, and conduct joint investigations into serious wildlife offences. 

The circular follows a state-level tiger cell meeting last month, which discussed the growing complexity of wildlife crimes, including hunting using firearms, electrocution, poisoning, and illegal wildlife trade with inter-district and inter-state links. District-level tiger cells will meet every month under the chairmanship of the district superintendent of police, with deputy conservators of forests, divisional forest officers, and other police officials participating.