Hyena dies after taking poachers’ bait at Rajaji park

The Pioneer , Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Correspondent : PNS | Haridwar
The laxity of the authorities towards preventing poaching in protected forest areas was once again exposed when a striped hyena in Rajaji National Park died accidentally after chewing a countrymade explosive covered in flour by poachers to kill wild boar. The hyena is said to have died when it chewed the explosive covered with flour which, when it exploded blew away the jaw of the animal and caused its painful death.

Environmental scientists aver that the death of the hyena in Rajaji national park is an example of the heavy toll being taken on the dwindling numbers of the varied animals species throughout the State including protected forest areas by poaching while the authorities officially focus their efforts on prevention of poaching of large felines and other creatures with dubious success.

It is pertinent to mention that up till the previous year, the Rajaji National Park administration maintained that there were a total of seven striped hyenas living within the boundaries of the national park. According to information provided by official sources, presently the total population of striped hyena in Rajaji Park is estimated to be 10 animals. It is pertinent to mention that the striped hyena is placed under the category of near threatened wildlife species which is a category assigned to species that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status. Considering the fact that there are only 10 striped hyena at Rajaji park, one would think that the animals would be well looked after but the reality is quite different.

On condition of anonymity an official of the forest department states that the focus of official anti-poaching measures is limited to big felines and elephants whereas most other wildlife creatures including smaller felines like fishing cat, leopard cat, jungle cats, wild boar, bears, wolves and hyena are considered to exist merely as official statistics. A visit to the website of the Rajaji National Park reveals low level of awareness regarding the habitat specific environment and outdated and incomplete information presented by the authorities on the flora and fauna in the national park.

Regarding the latest death of the hyena due to an explosive bait left by a poacher to kill a wild boar, environmentalists aver that it is this uncontrolled poaching of wild boar which is responsible for the fluctuations in areas and beats inhabited by tigers and leopards, both of which count the wild board among one of their favoured natural prey. Had not the hyena been accidentally killed, the alarming scale of poaching wild boar in Rajaji national park using explosives covered with flour might not have been exposed yet again as a sign of the continued apathy of the authorities in preventing large scale poaching of wild animals even in protected forest areas of Uttarakhand.

 
SOURCE : http://www.dailypioneer.com/213101/Hyena-dies-after-taking-poachers%E2%80%99-bait-at-Rajaji-park.html
 


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