For the wild ungulates of Bejjur the green fodder plot at the ‘ootlu’ or natural springs area deep inside the forest is certainly more valuable than an oasis in a desert.
It not only provides the animals with green grass but also precious water in the summer months which, in the miscellaneous forests in these parts could be one of the most trying of times.
The fodder plot is a fenced off 8 hectare of forest land around the famous Bejjur ootlu or natural springs, that has been created by the Forest department in order to make available different kinds of green grass which grow in the forests for the benefit of the different kinds of ungulates.
Fenced-off
“We needed to fence off the area in order to prevent cattle from treading here. The 4 ft high iron mesh fencing however, is no hindrance to the wild herbivores which easily jump over it,” pointed out Bejjur Forest Range Officer M. Ram Mohan as recalled the preparations which his department made four years back to raise fodder.
Mr. Ram Mohan in fact followed the basic principles in developing a fodder plot and succeeded in achieving the purpose. “We selected the natural springs area so that grass is green all through the summer and put in place a monitoring team which is the most important exercise in the gamut,” he recalled.
As designed, the ungulates are jumping the fence and entering the place at their convenience. “We have noticed hoof marks of spotted deer, chowsingha or four horned antelope and nilgais all through,” the FRO revealed.
Pug marks
Villagers have also reported frequently sighting a large herd of spotted deer and some nilgais. On April 12, the fodder plot monitoring team spotted a tiger pug mark too inside the haven.
“This is really good news as the tiger must have come for prey,” a beaming Mr. Ram Mohan observed. Tiger movement has been reported in the area since about two years but this is the first time that it has jumped the fencing to land inside the fodder plot.
“We are planning to create one fodder plot in each of the five ranges in Kagaznagar Forest Division in near future,” Kagaznagar Forest Divisional Officer A. Narasimha Reddy said. “First ones will come up at Gundepalli in Penchikalpet range and Laxmipur ootlu in Sirpur range,” he added.
