The staff attached to anti-poaching camps in tiger reserves need to be instructed on ways to take adequate protection against tiger attacks. Preventive measures like the veterinarians’ Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and Personnel Protective Protocol (PPP) need to be enforced, a forest guard said.

Staff at tiger reserves in the region, which comprises the Nagarahole National Park, Bandipur National Park and Biligiri Ranga Tiger Reserve, held a discussion at Aranya Bhavan in the city on Sunday.

The informal meet was held under the banner of Forest Guards and Watchers Association.

“We work round-the-clock but have no attached toilets at the APCs, proper drinking water or modern weapons. The risk is higher for us than the territorial and social forestry staff,” Venkatesh, president of the Association, said. A woman APC employee said the staff quarters were not maintained properly and were uninhabitable.

“Our children are not getting good education due to lack of proper schools adjacent to forests and poor transportation facilities. The government should treat guards and watchers on par with Army personnel,” she said.

Referring to Suresh who was mauled to death by a tiger recently, forest watcher Manjunath asked the Forest Department to pay a compensation of `10 lakh, instead of `5 lakh as announced. “After the incident, parents are forcing us to say goodbye to this job as they fear risk to our lives,” he said.

Another forest watcher complained about the outdated guns provided at the camps.

Bandipur Tiger Reserve director H C Kanthraju said the walkie-talkies given to APC staff have been repaired and temporary toilets will soon be set up near the camps. Drinking water is being supplied in jeeps and stoves for cooking, he added. As around 34 per cent of the staff in the 46 APCs in the region were tribals, they had sold the torches and shoes which were initially given to them.