An area of concern for long, forest protection and anti-poaching camps at Bandipur and Nagarhole were beset with a host of problems: lack of manpower, inadequate training and aging forest guards who could not withstand the rigours of jungle patrol
But thankfully, the tide has turned and the anti-poaching camps in the tiger and elephant reserves of two premier national parks of Karnataka have been given the much-needed transfusion of trained manpower that underlines the seriousness accorded to forest protection.
At the last reckoning, the issue of shortage of manpower at both Bandipur and Nagarahole — which used to consistently hover around 45-50 per cent – has been addressed and the current vacancy in the sanctioned posts has been reduced to less than 10 per cent.
Imperative
Wildlife conservationists have welcomed the fresh deployment of guards and the training imparted to them which was imperative given the enhanced status of the two national parks as one of the best hopes for the long-term survival of both tigers and elephants in the Indian sub-continent.
The newly deployed staff have not only completed the conventional training which is mandatory for forest staff but 54 of them have undergone rigorous training, the modules of which were developed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The Special Tiger Protection Force members will be deployed across Bandipur, Nagarhole and Bhadra. They will supplement the role of the anti-poaching camp personnel and coordinate with them and they have been mandated to be inside the forests for 10 to 14 days at a stretch followed by a short break.
Special training
As Sanjay Gubbi, Member, State Wildlife Board, pointed out, the special task force personnel are trained in jungle survival techniques, night navigation, operating weapons, ambushing and tracking any of the tell-tale evidence that could lead to poachers in the vicinity.
The duration of the training was for 13 weeks and their deployment has definitely sent a deterrent signal to the poachers operating in the area, say wildlife activists who have welcomed the strengthening of the anti-poaching camps. There are 38 anti-poaching camps at Bandipur and 24 at Nagarhole.
As Vijayaranjan Singh, DCF, Nagarhole, pointed out, it was for the first time in the history of Nagarhole and Bandipur that the anti-poaching camps were functioning to their full capacity and have been provided teeth to deter potential poachers from any misadventure. In addition to the full deployment of the trained special tiger force personnel, the Forest Department has recruited 84 watchers, 18 foresters and 38 guards.
Financial resources may be scarce but things have improved in the recent past with the NTCA sanctioning nearly Rs.2 crore to Rs.3 crore while funding is also expected from the 13th Finance Commission. In the meantime, quarters are being constructed for the special task force and three complexes have been planned at Melkamahalli and H.D.Kote as also at Titimathi and for which the former Indian cricket captain and President of the State Board for Wildlife, Anil Kumble, helped secure Rs.1.5 crore.
These developments are reckoned to be the proverbial silver lining to the grey clouds masking the state of wildlife in India where death of elephants by electrocution or being mowed by trains is common while tiger deaths by snares or jaw traps have become regular news items.
It is pertinent to note that tiger poaching was rampant in the north and eastern parts of the country from where the animal derivatives would be smuggled through Nepal to Tibet or mainland China for their questionable efficacy as aphrodisiac.
While there have been occasional reports of tiger poaching from the southern forests, they were relatively few in number though elephant deaths – not due to poaching but due to man-animal conflict – were high in the region.
Crucial role
Now, before the gaze of the poachers could turn to the south to trap the majestic striped beauties, the authorities have raised the bar by strengthening the field staff whose average age has come down due to the infusion of young blood.
As wildlife activists have pointed out, guards posted in the anti-poaching camps used to rue their fate as it was considered “punishment posting”. A majority of them used to be above 50 years of age, afflicted by diabetes and blood pressure and hence unfit for the rigours of jungle patrol. But thankfully, there is an element of pride among the members who have joined the special tiger protection force and are aware of the global priority in tiger conservation and their important role in it.
Bandipur and Nagarhole are among the prized tiger and elephant landscapes in the country and have helped Karnataka secure the Tiger State tag from Madhya Pradesh. Wildlife biologists working in the area, including Ullas Karanth, have confirmed the high tiger and prey density in these forests. Tiger enumeration in Bandipur and Nagarhole, along with Mudumalai, Wayanad, Brahmagiri, BRT Sanctuary etc, has given a range of 214 to 239 tigers in the Karnataka side while the entire landscape encompassing Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu is reckoned to harbour a tiger population in the range of 354 to 411, as per the NTCA statistics.
Not surprisingly the entire tiger landscape in the region has been accorded a global priority status. Juxtapose this with an elephant population in the range of 6000-8000, along with leopards, dholes, spotted deer, barking deer and host of other exotic animals and birds that is representative of the biodiversity of the country, and even the worst critics of the Forest Department would appreciate the strengthening of the anti-poaching camps as a step in the right direction.
R. Krishna Kumar
Jungle patrol staff have been given rigorous training to tackle poachers
