Wildlife lovers unite against alarming tiger deaths in the region

The Economic Times , Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Correspondent : Vinita Chaturvedi
With 15 tiger deaths reported around Nagpur jungles in the last three months, the city's wildlife lovers want strict steps taken to check this alarming phenomenon.

After a century of decline, the most recent tiger data released by the World Wildlife Fund reveals there are about 3,890 tigers in the wild, up from 3,200 in 2010. But, this piece of news hasn't gladdened the hearts of those wildlife lovers who know the fact that more than 15 tigers have died in the jungles around Nagpur (in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh) in the past three months. This is the official figure released by National Tiger Conservation Authority and the real number could be higher, inform some highly placed sources.

Every death is not due to poaching

What alarms the wildlife lovers is the fact that many of these tigers have been brutally killed or poisoned by the poachers but that's not the case everytime. Anil Agarwala, an ardent wildlife lover, who is working to promote tourism in the region, shares, "Every single tiger death is not due to poaching. Some of the deaths are also caused by territorial infighting, ageing and injury. The need of the hour is professional patrolling in order to minimise the threat of poaching or injury. I feel our forest guards and rangers need to be equipped with better footwear, binoculars and communication equipment. Since, there is a large expanse of jungles to be manned, the peripheral areas must have an extra layer of patrolling by a special tiger force."

Raising awareness among the villagers

There are many wildlife lovers in the city who have earnestly started creating awareness among the villagers to protect the tigers. Vinit Arora, a wildlife enthusiast and photographer, shares, "My friends and I have started a mission of meeting various villagers in and around the jungles. We keep telling them that tigers are the biggest attraction of the wild; if they are killed, the jungles will perish and they will also lose their livelihood. We are focussing a lot on the children, so that they feel a sense of ownership towards the jungles and wildlife. Most of the poaching happens in the buffer zones and if villagers are alert, they can help nab the culprits through inputs."

Use evolved technology

Latest technology can play a huge part in minimising the untimely deaths of the tigers, says Agarwala. "If drone cameras are deployed in jungles around Nagpur, it can help in monitoring almost every nook and cranny of the forest. Also, installing high-tech CCTVs can go a long way in keeping a check on the poachers. It is not possible to put a radio collar around each tiger cub, but all the breeding females must be radio collared. The fact is that almost every year 120-150 tiger cubs are born in the jungles around Nagpur. So, where do they go? Resorting to inclusive management is the right way forward to protect this magnificent species. I want forest authorities to take everyone — including the guides, gypsy drivers, resort owners and villagers — into confidence, so that a fine intelligence network is created to save the tiger and rest of the wildlife," he says.

Wider reach via social networking

To give a fillip to the campaign to stop the tiger killings, wildlife lover Sarosh

Lodhi and his friends have created a group called CLAWS on a social networking site. "We have kept a record of all the tiger deaths; even those that are not mentioned on the government website. We have a deep connect with the villagers in far off hamlets of central India. These updates posted on the social networking site reach hundreds of people within minutes and whenever there is a case of poaching or irregularities, we protest against it. In the recent death by poisoning of the Baghin-nala tigress, we protested in large numbers and also organised a candle vigil. It helped in raising the issue at higher levels," informs Sarosh.

Mohammad Junaid, another wildlife enthusiast who is a part of the group, adds, "If the unofficial cases of tiger deaths are not reported, they can be blatantly pushed under the carpet. Tigers are the pride of Vidarbha and we have to fight for their survival."

 
SOURCE : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/wildlife-lovers-unite-against-alarming-tiger-deaths-in-the-region/articleshow/51977569.cms?prtpage=1
 


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