Kerala - Kozhikode   

`Step up wildlife emergency activity'

Staff Reporter

Eco-development panels to help spread awareness

KOZHIKODE: The death of a leopard in Wayanad on Wednesday has evoked protest from animal rights activists and organisations, especially in the wake of reports of local people harassing the animal in an attempt to catch it.

Several activists have stressed the need for public awareness of wild animals, especially the endangered species. Forest Minister Benoy Viswom told The Hindu that people should realise the co-existence of man and animal in areas near the forest. He said the Government would chalk out programmes in this regard.

Mr. Viswom said the Forest Department could have saved the leopard had the people allowed the officials to take care of it last Sunday. "Recently, the department officials caught a leopard in the Wayanad district and released it safely into the forest," He said.

S. Guruvayurappan, Project Officer and Co-ordinator (South India Branch), Wildlife Protection Society of India, New Delhi, alleged that the local people "harassed" the leopard in the presence of forest and police officials. Forest officials were informed about the leopard at 11 a.m. However, they reached the spot only in the afternoon. "This should not have happened as there are enough forest officials in the forest areas. There should have timely co-ordination among the staff members."

He said more police officials should have been deployed to tackle the emergency situation

Lack of co-ordination among forest officials has worsened the situation. The Forest Department is yet to register a case. "The case falls under the hunting of Schedule 1 species under Wildlife Protection Act 1972," Mr. Guruvayurappan said.

Lakhvinder Singh, chief conservator, North Range, said the number of leopards in the wild had increased owing to conservation activities. Human settlement in areas near the forest has led to the encroachment onto the big cat's habitat. "The department had erected electric fences and trenches to frighten away elephants. Digging up a 1 km-long trench will cost Rs.1.5 lakh or more. At present, funds from the panchayats are being used for the purpose." Some people damage electric fences to allow their cattle to graze in the forest. He denied the alleged move to allow the local people to help erect the fences. "As digging up of trenches is labour intensive we are using funds from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme," Mr. Singh said.

Mr. Guruvayurappan said a wildlife emergency workshop for forest and veterinary officials was organised on December 28, 2005 in Sulthan Bathery.

"Eco-development committees such as the Vana Samrakshana Samithis and Forest Development Agencies in the State should take up such issues as educational activities," Mr. Guruvayurappan said. Such awareness programmes are essential in Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki and Thiruvananthapuram districts where wildlife emergency activities are not systematic, he said.

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