In a shocking turn of events, yesterday night Avni, the tigress, who was alleged to be a man-eater was shot dead by the Forest Department with the help of a private shooter.

Avni was a six year old mother of two cubs who was in the hiding for months as over 150 armed forest guards were after her life.

Animal Rights' activist have petitioned the highest Courts, appealed to President of India and protested the shoot-at-sight orders for Avni through public demostrations and on social media, all across the country. But nothing helped to save her life.

It's not just Avni's life

Now this killing ...or rather murder of a tigress has several deeper implications. It's a war of mankind against wild forests of the planet. If given an opportunity, humans want to destroy all forests and wildlife to meet their selfish economic interests.

And when Government also take sides of capitalist businesses, who will protect forests and wild life?

Avni was a mother of two cubs who are just one year old. These cubs' lives are at risk without their mother. Now when forest officials find these cubs, they will be made captive for life in the name of rescuing them. So forests were deprived of at least three big cats who were in their prime.

But still the lives of these cubs are very uncertain at the moment.

According to India Today

Avni was shot dead in Mahrashtra's Yavatmal district

Forest officers spread the urine of another tigress and an American perfume to lure Avni
The olfactory baits worked and Avni came sniffing by
The forest officers then tried to nab Avni alive but were unable to do so due to the darkness and dense undergrowth
Then, Asgar Ali, the son of controversial shooter Nawab Shafat Ali fired a shot that felled Avni
Avni was then taken to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead

As per some media reports the tranquilizing dart on the dead body of Avni was put after her murder:

there was absolutely no attempt made at tranquilising. That the dart was placed after the fact and that she was not charging when shot.

My feelings on this issue are in sync with Aaditya Thackeray's tweet:

Let’s rename the Ministry of Forests as Ministry of Poaching. It’s anyway a sham!

I find myself at loss of words to describe my thoughts on this issue. May be, I should write on it some other time.

May Avni's soul rest in peace!