BARNADI (UDALGURI), Jan 19 – A prime wildlife habitat and the last refuge (except Manas National Park) of the critically-endangered pigmy hog and hispid hare, the Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary presents a picture of neglect and apathy. It may sound ludicrous but the 26.21-sq km sanctuary – which shot to global prominence following the rediscovery of the pigmy hog and hispid hare in 1971 after they were thought to be extinct – is manned by a skeletal staff of 10 permanent employees. An equal number of casual workers are there but they are an unmotivated and uncooperative lot, as they rarely receive remuneration for their toil. The obvious consequence is unmanned camps or camps without the required quorum of personnel, exposing the forest and the wildlife to all sorts of human depredation.
“Manpower shortage has been a persisting concern, seriously affecting the sanctuary’s security. With the available manpower at our disposal, it is impossible to ensure round-the-clock vigilance over the forest,” a forest official said, adding that the casual workers often resorted to non-cooperation as they often make do without salary for six-seven months.
The sanctuary has a couple of vehicles, one of those procured only recently after lots of persuasion with the higher authorities.
Encroachment is another major problem at Barnadi, with 4 sq km of its area remaining under illegal occupation. Considering that the sanctuary’s area is only 26.21 sq km, the encroachment extends to almost one-sixth of its habitat.
Poaching, too, has been among the impediments hampering conservation efforts at Barnadi. According to the forest official, while commercial poaching might not have yet attained serious dimensions, traditional hunting by some of the communities living near the forests was a worry. Some local inhabitants, however, differed with the department version, saying that poaching – for whatever purpose – had been common in the forest.
“While poaching of big animals occasionally attracts attention, killing or capturing of lesser animals and birds are rarely noticed and acted upon,” an inhabitant said.
The exact status of the pigmy hog and hispid hare in Barnadi is unclear, as there has been no census of these two elusive mammals. “While sightings have been extremely rare, we do get signs of their presence occasionally,” the official said.
Situated in Udalguri district close to the international border with Bhutan, Barnadi is among the oldest protected areas of the State. Declared a reserve forest in 1942, it was declared a sanctuary in 1980 as part of efforts to enhance the conservation prospects of the pigmy hog and the hispid hare.
Barnadi also shelters elephant, tiger, leopard, black leopard, gaur, pangolin, capped langur, slow loris, sambar, barking deer, hog deer, wild dog, porcupine, etc., and a sizeable avian population, including four species, including migratory ones.
The sanctuary – also acclaimed for its scenic beauty — is bordered by the Barnadi river and the Nalanadi to the west and east respectively. Barnadi is located within the buffer zone of Manas Tiger Reserve.
