Hunger pangs drive big cats to villages near forests

The Times of India , Monday, February 18, 2013
Correspondent : Bipin Chand Agarwal

SHRAVASTI: Human-animal conflict is on the rise in areas adjoining wildlife sanctuaries. Absence of natural prey in forests coupled with easy availability in human areas has led big cats to frequent villages adjoining the forest. As such children are falling prey to these animals with Monday's incident in Bagdharwa village near Sohelwa Wildlife Sancturay being the latest in the series.

Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Shravasti Javed Akhtar said "same problems plague all the three forest areas -- Sohelwa, Katarniaghat and Dudhwa National Park. These forest areas are adjoining Nepal border." He further said "Human-animal conflict has claimed lives of 11 children, four leopards and two tigers in the last two years.

Apart from encroachment, it's the lack of foresight on the part of planners that has led to rise in incidence of human-animal conflict. "On one hand the government is spending huge amount in protecting and increasing the population of tigers and leopards. However, no thought was given to increasing population of their natural prey in similar proportion. Hence, owing to absence of natural prey, wild animals are attacking people and domestic animals living in areas adjoining the forest," said a forest officer.

Another officer blamed people for the rising human-animal conflict. "Villagers living near sanctuaries are encroaching upon forest area. Despite ban they enter forest area and fall prey to wild cats. When forest area decreases wild cats move into villages," he said.

Wildlife expert RK Singh, who retired as IFS officer in March this year, said "as per 2011 census, there are approximately 200 leopards and 100 tigers in Katarniaghat, Sohelwa and Dudhwa National Park. A single big cat operates in a radius of eight-kilometre. It is the area of its dominance. To house 300 big cats, these three wildlife sanctuaries should have an area of 2,400 kilometres. In reality, the three sanctuaries jointly have less half of the above-mentioned area. Hence, big cats migrate to the populated areas adjoining the forest sanctuaries and attack domestic animals and small children."

Since January, five persons have been killed and 11 injured in 11 attacks in villages adjacent to the sanctuary. "To minimize human-animal conflict, government must sanction budget for increasing the population of natural prey," he added.

Forest ranger, Eastern Sohelwa, OP Mishra said: "All attacks were vicious. Bodies of victims were found to be partially eaten by the big cats. The fear is all pervasive and villagers have stopped tilling their fields." Citing change in leopard's habit and shortage of prey in the sanctuary as main reasons behind the attacks, he looked worried as Sohelwa was home to 67 leopards. Apart from attacks on humans, the leopards have also killed more than three dozen domesticated animals.

Spread across 452 square kms on Indo-Nepal border, Sohelwa Wildlife Forest Division has recently been declared a tiger reserve and renamed Sohal Dev Tiger Reserve Sanctuary. It boasts of rich wildlife. The 2012 Tiger Census puts the number of big cats in the sanctuary at 74. Besides, the sanctuary houses deer, bear, rabbit, pada, cheetal, etc.

"Poaching and conservation of tigers, elephants and other big animals, has led to a spurt in the number of carnivorous animals and dwindling of their prey. This imbalance has forced the leopards to turn towards human dwellings on forest borders where food is available in abundance in the form of domesticated animals," he added.

Ranger Mishra further said "three months back, a proposal of Rs 4 crore was sent to the state government for increasing the population of cheetal and deer in the forest. We are awaiting government nod to go ahead with it."

The rising man-animal conflict has already taken a toll on normal life in around two dozen villages surrounding the Sohelwa wildlife division like Ladohwa, Sohelwa, Medkiya, Gabbapur, Rampur, Kasiyapur, Jungleepurwa, Bhagwanpur, Takia, Paikauri, Gholiya, Pakadiya, Jarsauli, Kusumhawa, Balapur etc. Most of these villages are situated close to the forest. Leopards often hide in the fields and wait for prey. As a result, afraid villagers do not venture out alone, especially during morning and evening hours. They prefer to go into the field in groups to deter the animal.

Mishra further said "human interference in forest has turned leopards violent." Refusing to accept that Sohelwa leopards were turning man-eater, he said " continued human interference can certainly turn them into man-eaters." He said that among the 11deaths caused by leopards, three bodies were found to be partially eaten. The fourth victim, he said had died due to heart attack during the attack.

He said that the department provided a relief of Rs 10,000 each to those injured in leopard attack, while Rs 1 lakh was offered as ex-gratia to kin of those killed.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Hunger-pangs-drive-big-cats-to-villages-near-forests/articleshow/22691094.cms
 


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