The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Forest official ruffles PFA feathers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 08, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Forest official ruffles PFA feathers

Staff Reporter

The official points out several loopholes in the procedures followed by PFA

SPOT INSPECTION: R. Rangaswamy, Chief Conservator of Forests, Bangalore Circle (right), along with A.M. Annaiah, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bangalore Urban (left), inspecting the papers at PFA rehabilitation centre in Bangalore on Wednesday. 51; Photo: K. Murali Kumar

BANGALORE: The Chief Conservator of Forests, Bangalore Circle, R. Rangaswamy, on Wednesday made a spot inspection of People for Animals (PFA) wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre here on Uttarahalli Main Road. The Forest Department had registered a case against the organisation for violation of various provisions of Wildlife Act.

Mr. Rangaswamy's visit follows a complaint by the PFA alleging highhandedness of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) (Bangalore Urban) A.M. Annaiah and his staff in registering cases against the PFA's senior manager R. Sharath Babu and five others.

Mr. Rangaswamy came to the centre, adjacent to Turahalligudda Reserve Forest. He was accompanied by the local department staff and was shown around the place by Mr. Babu himself.

At present, the PFA houses three monkeys, three stray dogs, four monitor lizards, two hill mynahs, two pythons, 18 parakeets, 16 pariah kites and 17 bonnet macaques.

When Mr. Rangaswamy complained that the water in the birds' enclosure was stagnant with algae, Mr. Babu explained that algae had been allowed to feed turtles.

When Mr. Rangaswamy came across some spots where it appeared some material had been burnt, Mr. Babu said the carcases of dead species were cremated to prevent wild boar exhuming them.

Mr. Rangaswamy impressed upon Mr. Babu on the procedure to be followed while rescuing and releasing wild animals. The law made it mandatory that a Forest Officer or the police should be apprised of the animals' presence within 48 hours. It stipulated that a written permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden was needed to acquire, transfer or destroy any wild animal.

He described as sketchy the monthly report the PFA sent to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to which Mr. Babu said the PCCF was kept in the loop about PFA's operations.

Mr. Rangaswamy said neither the PFA nor Mr. Babu were authorised to rescue and rehabilitate wild animals. He found that the staff, including Mr. Babu, was not technically trained and that the centre did not have a full-time veterinary doctor. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) had withheld the application for the grant of recognition for the rescue centre.

Mr. Babu said "Save Our Wildlife", the wildlife wing of PFA, had an agreement with the Forest Department for rescuing and rehabilitating animals. The PFA staff had hands-on experience as there was no professional institute to train in wildlife management. A government doctor, who served at the centre for years, was treating the animals. Moreover, the Central Zoo Authority had given conditional approval for running the centre.

When Mr. Rangaswamy pointed out that some of protected trees, including sandalwood and honge, had been felled in the PFA premises, which was just 100 metres from the boundary of the reserve forest, Mr. Babu blamed his neighbour. He said he did not lodge a complaint about it but sent a message from his mobile phone to Mr. Annaiah.

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Karnataka