'India will have so many tigers that people will poison them'

Celebrity hunter Nawab Shafath Ali Khan believes the humananimal conflict will spiral out of control unless the government takes steps to maintain the landtoanimal ratio fence all national parks and ensure availability of food and water for animals in forests so that they dont venture into human habitationsIn five years India will have so many tigers that people will poison them and the terror caused by these animals is going to be such that no government can control it warns Nawab Shafath Ali KhanShafath is under attack from animal lovers after his son gunned down maneater tigress Avni in Maharashtras Yavatmal district last week Referring to the last weeks incident in Uttar Pradesh in which a tiger was crushed to death by villagers after it killed a man he warned that this would happen at more places around the countryThe 60yearold professional hunter who has been helping various states in capturing tigers elephants and other animals for last four decades favours culling animals to maintain the natural balance He pointed out that many countries including the United States and Russia cull animals to maintain the landtoanimal ratioTill 1972 the number of animals was under control because killing of animals entering fields was allowed Today the law provides full protection to animals and as a result their numbers are increasing said Khan who is wildlife adviser to nine statesIn 1980 there were 15700 elephants and today their number is 30000 They are venturing into human habitations and creating havoc Nilgais are causing terror in Gujarat Bihar and other states Thousands of nilgai are destroying fields Khan told IANS in an interviewWith the population of tigers also going up to 3000 Khan underlined the need to make base prey and water available to big cats in their natural habitat Each tiger needs a kill every week He believes lack of proper maintenance of forests has turned 55 crore people living in 187 lakh villages adjoining the forests into enemies of animalsLast year 18 tigers were killed due to poisoning and electric fencing in Maharashtra alone Nobody talks about it Here when one maneater tiger is killed they are raising all sorts of questions said Shafath whose son Asghar Ali Khan shot the tigress dead in selfdefenceLast year they captured alive a tigress near Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra after it had killed two peopleOn the allegation by animal lovers that he is triggerhappy Shafath says that not even once in his life had he requested any state government to call him I have received 50 orders from governments since I was 19 They called me because of my work experience and expertise which they lack he said showing the latest order issued by Maharashtra government seeking his services to capture Avni alive or to kill itRubbishing all charges made by animal rights activists including Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi he said he never took money for the operationsShafath claims he dedicated his life for those poor for whom there is no one take care of The happiness which he sees in poor farmers tribals widows and orphans on successful completion of operations inspire him to workI dont need awards media publicity or money said Shafath whose grandfather was adviser to the British colonial rulers in the 1930s and whose father was also a renowned hunter Show me the pugmark of a tiger I will tell you if it is male or female old or young healthy or ill Thats our expertise and thats why we are called said the man from an erstwhile royal familyHe said it was the governments responsibility to ensure that animals dont cross the borders of forest He pointed out that tigress Avni covered a distance of 60 km to reach human habitations and killed 13 people in two yearsIf such a thing happens in US the officer concerned will be tried for manslaughter The life of a human being is more important there but here a maneater tiger has become more important he saidKhan alleged that activists have a hidden agenda and get foreign funds They have nothing to do with wildlife and the mananimal conflict he said and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI into the funding of such individualsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Except for the change in the headline the story has been provided ASIS AS AVAILABLE without any verification or editing from our side Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever