Karnataka - Mysore   

A big relief to wildlife

— PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Under threat:A vehicle passes through the Bandipur park every 10 seconds during peak hour, according to a survey.

MYSORE: A survey to study the impact of ban on the movement of vehicles through the Bandipur National Park has proved that it has come as a big relief to wildlife.

The findings are significant in view of the Karnataka High Court's verdict on Tuesday upholding the ban on movement of vehicles through the park at night.

D. Rajkumar of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation told The Hindu that the High Court verdict was a positive development which would go a long way in providing relief to the animals.

He said the survey was conducted a few weeks after the ban was introduced and members of the foundation discovered a tremendous increase in the animal sightings along the highway. The members spotted six tigers and four leopards in 10 days, while there were 1,250 sightings of nearly 22 other mammals along the highway stretch.

Though it was a casual survey conducted to test the impact of reduction in disturbance, the findings based on direct visual sightings, were encouraging, said Mr. Rajkumar who pointed out that it was rare to sight tigers and leopards or other carnivore animals in the vicinity of the highway.

“These are specialised species which brook no disturbance from humans, and hence, tend to dig themselves deep in the jungles. But the ban has brought them the much-needed relief and proves that if left undisturbed, the wildlife can make a come back in the Indian jungles,” Mr. Rajkumar said.

What was significant was that tigers and leopards were found marking their territories as if to reclaim their lost habitat. The sightings of these nocturnal animals which otherwise would not venture near the highway were of tremendous significance and vindicated the ban on movement of vehicles at night through the park, he said.

In an earlier study, the foundation surveyed National Highway 67, which cuts through the park and runs for 12.5 km inside it, and National Highway 212, which runs for 17.5 km inside the park.

The traffic survey found that on an average, a vehicle passed through the park every 10 seconds during peak hour and there were not less than two vehicles every minute during non-peak hours, but the traffic density had increased in the past two years. During the survey, the foundation recorded 91 mammal deaths apart from 56 snakes and other reptiles which were found run over by vehicles. The members found 56 birds dead on the highway and accounted for 19 bonnet macaques and 11 spotted deer and an equal number of sambhars, he said.

Mr. Rajkumar pointed out that most of the animal deaths occurred at night when they would invariably be blinded by the powerful neon lights of the vehicles.

Sanjay Gubbi, wildlife biologist and member of the State Wildlife Board, said the High Court verdict vindicated their stand that the ban was necessary in the interests of wildlife.

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