Karnataka might soon have a wildlife crime bureau on the lines of the National Wildlife Crime Bureau, which was set up on the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. The threat to wildlife in the State is more from indigenous tribes than from outsiders. "We are convinced that the Hakki Pikki tribe is involved in the inter-state poaching racket in Karnataka forests. They have nexus with tribes in other states like the Bahelias in Madhya Pradesh and Pardis in Gujarat,' said Inspector General of Police (CID, Forest Cell) KSN Chikkerur. "This tribe knows the forest very well and is involved in the netting and killing of wild animals, for their pelt and other products, which are smuggled out of the country - mainly to China, Japan, North and South Koreas,' he said. Mr Chikkerur said wildlife crimes in the State are largely controlled but there is a need to sensitise the villagers and people living in and around the national parks on the protection of wild animals. "If they are sensitised on conservation issues, half of our work will be achieved,' he said. There was however, demand for ivory and tiger, leopard and otter pelts and wildlife products which was encouraging wildlife crimes in the State. "Even sloth bears are being targetted for their body parts.' A global demand for tiger and leopard pelts from south India created the nexus between India's worst wildlife offender Sansar Chand and Prabhakar Gajakosh, a politician and private timber contractor earlier registered with the Forest Department from Hubli. The Forest Cell CID had seized a tiger skin, 21 leopard skins and 43 otter skins from Gajakosh's possession on December 13 last year. His arrest provided vital information about the links of the infamous chain. "Though tigers in north India are larger, those from the south are preferred by illegal traders because of their colour. They are brighter in colour than those in north India,' said the officer. "Gajakosh's telephone number used to figure very frequently in the conversations between him and the organised poachers in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. We traced his number several times when we intercepted the calls,' said Mr Chikkerur. Gajakosh also has links with K K Choudhary of Hyderabad, an intermediary and smuggler of wildlife pro ducts including ski ns. "He used to supply them to Chand, who in turn smuggled them to China and Tibet,' he added. Apart from poaching, there are instances of animals being shot for their meat. "Pot hunting is on. The recent arrest of some dhaba owners serving monitor lizard meat is a pointer to that. After media reports some department stores in the City which were selling quail eggs voluntarily surrender ed the eggs and told us that they were not awa re that it was an offen ce,' said the officer. Staff shortage "The Forest Department has a shortage of staff; around 40 per cent posts of front line staff are vacant. Recently, there has been an effort to recruit some people, but that's not enough. The government also needs to consider their demands for an increment and better service conditions,' said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) I B Srivastava. In the recently held meeting of all PCCFs in Delhi, recommendations were made to fill up the vacancies of guards and frontline staff, and to improve their service conditions. "There was a suggestion to increase their salary by 25 per cent and, like in the Army, allow them to keep their families in taluk headquarters. The government should support them and provide their children education and healthcare facilities,' he added. Karnataka might soon have a wildlife crime bureau on the lines of the National Wildlife Crime Bureau, which was set up on the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. The proposal to set up a State Wildlife Crime Bureau was sent to the government early last year and is pending approval. It would work in conjunction with the CID Forest Cell and State Forest Department. "The Crime Bureau would be a nodal agency for all forest related crimes and will have a tie up with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, for creating scientific data base for the wildlife in the State,' he added. As of now the State has a Forest CID cell and the Forest Department, which work together in sharing Intelligence and controlling crime.