A lot of nature lovers would think wildlife sanctuary worker Veer Singh had a dream job. He made his living caring for rare Bengal tigers in India's Bhoramdeo wildlife sanctuary.
But instead, Singh used his caretaker position to kill and dismember a six-year-old female tiger.
According to India's Zee News, Singh poisoned the tiger's food, then enlisted two accomplices to butcher her for parts. Superstition has it that various parts of the tiger can cure disease and bestow mystical powers. Singh himself seems to have believed the tiger's whiskers would make him a more accomplished lover.
And this comes at a time when India's tiger population is already heartbreakingly thin. According to a survey conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, there may be as few as 1411 in all of India's sixteen wildlife reserves.
Tell the Bhoramdeo Sanctuary to enact stricter screening processes for its animals' caretakers so that a tragedy like this never happens again.
We the undersigned are heartbroken over the brutal death of a Bengal tiger at the hands of a forest guard who was paid to protect her. India's already dwindling tiger population is, today, that much poorer. We beg you not to hire as forest guards people steeped in superstitious belief who have no compassion for animals. There are, worldwide, thousands of people who would have served India's tigers better than Veer Singh. We urge you to screen your staff with more caution and to step up your efforts to educate local communities so they can quit killing tigers over bogus superstitious beliefs. It is time for everyone to realize the importance of biodiversity, and you play an important role in this change.
