Sanjay Shaw, the owner of West Point, was a student in the British Army during World War II and has been involved in several conservation and restoration projects in Pakistan in the past decade, where he also worked as an ornithologist and a member of the Pakistani Museum Trust. These animals were brought to India from the UK, where they were purchased at a price of Rs. 4 crore each.

The plan is to remove the carcasses from the battlefield for several months to ensure the animals are not poisoned by military bullets.

“We are ready to start the cleaning work. The plan is to clean all the carcasses in the field for a few months,” said Sarvesh Mishra, deputy conservator (wildlife). “And the process will take longer but we have the machinery and the experience now. We have got two people with us, who will clean the carcasses but for now we want to start all these steps.”

In 2011, a team of scientists from several countries, including the Netherlands, India and the US, carried out the first comprehensive study of the Kashmiri tiger, and concluded that the iconic cat could be extinct within three decades.

In addition to this scientific research, the wildlife department is also working on the conservation of the tiger to protect its habitat. Apart from the wild population, there is an estimated 2,000 tigers in captivity. About 500 are in the Kargil tiger reserve.

The Indian government made the decision to stop the trade in Bengal tiger in 1981, but it was not until recently that it began enforcing the prohibition in two-wheelers.

“It is very important that the trade is stopped before the last tiger is lost,” said Mr. Mishra.