Newmai News Network Imphal | April 22 The confusion on the intense speculations on the reported killing of a Royal Bengal Tiger in Manipur has been laid to rest following a clarification about the speculations by Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Manipur, PN Prasad today. Photos of a dead Royal Bengal Tiger uploaded on social media went viral saying the big cat was killed in Manipur by hunters recently. Activists and the media were trying very hard to ascertain the reports but to no avail. On Saturday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Manipur while speaking to Impact TV, an Imphal based cable TV news channel, clarified that there was no such case in Manipur in recent time. The officer clarified that the “photographs of killing of Royal Bengal Tiger which were uploaded on social media were the photographs of killing a tiger” elsewhere years ago and not in Manipur, according to the Impact TV report. According to PN Prasad, the Manipur Forest Department was working hard to ascertain the authenticity of the photographs which were shot at three different locations, the Impact TV report said. It was later on found out that the photographs were related to incidents that had taken place outside Manipur some years ago. The Impact TV report then said, “As per the reports given by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) there was a report of presence of Royal Bengal Tigers in Tamenglong district”. It stated that following this reports, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Central Crime Controls Bureau along with the State Forest Department are working to find out whether there are tigers in Tamenglong district using CCTVs and Plaster of Paris. “There are reports of tigers appearing in Senapati areas as well,” the Impact TV report said. PN Prasad then said the issue will be discussed at a meeting to be organised by National Tiger Conservation Authority on May 2 in Guwahati.
