The Uttarakhand Forest Department is considering captive breeding of different deer species in order to increase prey base for carnivores, especially leopards, to reduce conflicts between leopards and villagers.
Deer bred in captivity will be released in the forest to improve the environmental balance which will benefit both the wild animals and humans.
The State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wild Life Warden Srikant Chandola said that the department has already submitted a proposal for captive breeding of the hog deer to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Conflicts between humans and wild animals are increasing at an alarming rate in Uttarakhand.
The State has earned the infamous distinction of having one of the highest rate of conflicts between humans and leopards among Indian States.
According to Forest Department data, out of the 315 humans killed and 824 injured in confrontations with wild animals between 2000 and 2011, 204 persons were killed and 363 injured in leopard attacks.
During this time period at least 94 big cats were declared man-eaters out of which 90 were leopards. One of the factors responsible for increasing conflict between humans and leopards is the decreased population of herbivores like deer due to poaching in forest areas.
As these herbivores constitute the natural prey of the leopards, the decrease in their population has caused the leopard to prey on alternative animals including domesticated animals and humans in some cases.
In order to redress such anomalies the State Forest Department is considering the possibility of breeding different deer species in captivity and then releasing these animals in the forest.
According to the Uttarakhand CWLW Srikant Chandola, considering the decrease in population of herbivores preyed upon by carnivores especially the leopard, the department is considering the possibility of starting the captive breeding of hog deer, cheetal or spotted deer, ghoral or blue sheep and the Indian muntjac or kakar.
The department proposes to breed these herbivores in captivity not only improve the wildlife balance but also to increase the prey animals for predators like leopards so that the big cats don’t need to venture out of the jungle in search of food.
If this proposed captive breeding and release programme is successfully executed it will drastically reduce the conflicts between leopards and humans in the Uttarakhand.
Not only would the incidents of human-leopard conflicts decrease, but the approximately 2,335 leopards in the State will also be able to prey on wild animals instead of resorting to killing domesticated animals and humans for food.
Similar steps have also been initiated in other Indian states including Madhya Pradesh and Odisha.
