The honorary wildlife warden of the Corbett National Park and National Tiger Conservation Authority member Brijendra Singh has said that measures like formation of a special tiger protection force alone will not have the desired effect on the tiger population unless the authorities ensure the welfare of villagers living near the forests and improve the resources and support system for department employees working in the field.
Speaking on the importance of including some areas of the Lansdowne forest division in the buffer zone of the Corbett, Brijendra Singh said in the recent past, the Wildlife Institute of India has counted up to six tigers in the Kolhu Chaur area. The prey base and other environmental components of the region are conducive to support a healthy tiger population. On poaching, he said though decisions like formation of special tiger protection force in the State may sound good, this alone cannot ensure tiger protection without ensuring the participation and welfare of local communities.
According to Singh, those residing in villages around the park and other protected areas, too, visit the forest regularly for legitimate activities which make it tougher for the authorities to single out poachers.
Referring to the Gujjar community living in some of the forest areas, he said most of the members of this community are law-abiding persons, some of whom are his friends with whom he stays during his visits to their settlements. However, the fact which cannot be ignored is that some members of this community are getting involved in wildlife poaching and related crimes. Due to this, it is essential that the community be relocated outside. The successive State Governments have taken no steps to facilitate a change in the land use regulations in the past ten years after the formation of Uttarakhand State which is creating problems for the people and in effect also proving detrimental to the larger cause of wildlife protection. Besides, the resource and support system for departmental field staff should also be improved.
