The tiger which killed three people in the Bandipur-Nagarhole region has finally been caught. This region has been considered a success story in the conservation of tigers across the world. But experts now feel that some conflict may definitely arise in such high density areas.
The Bandipur-Nagarhole region has been identified as a prime habitat for tigers. At present, it supports more than 150 animals. According to wildlife experts, tigers are territorial animals. Young or too old animals without territories are pushed to edges through intra-specific aggression. In some sense, the conflicts are a consequence of the past conservation successes. Noted international authority on tigers and director for Science-Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society, K Ullas Karanth said: “The current tiger population is high. We need to protect other areas such as Kaveri, MM Hills, Kudremukh and Anshi Dandeli to hold more tigers. However, in the long run, some conflict on the edges of high density areas is inevitable. Long-term planning, establishment of professionally trained animal damage control units at strategic locations, creating a cadre of trained officials, biologists and veterinarians are needed.” According to Karanth, the three recent attacks near Bandipur were clearly of a single tiger which has been persistently hunting human beings. “This is possibly due to some disability or being forced to the edges by other tigers,” he said.
Wildlife Conservationist D V Girish said: “There are two possibilities for these attacks; a conflict situation or an old, incapacitated animal finding new areas as it has been pushed by others. With villages abounding here, humans become easy prey for such tigers.”
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Vinay Luthra, who took charge on Thursday, was in Bandipur to oversee the operations. He said reserves may have a population of old and infirm tigers. It is difficult to ascertain when they turn killers. “Although it was a tough task we had enough people to tackle the situation. Four teams had been combing the area which is a large habitat.”
To a question if the area has been affected by man-animal conflict because it is surrounded by nearly 300 villages with people on the periphery of the reserve involved in farming, Karanth said: “We have squeezed wildlife into the last few patches such as Bandipur-Nagarahole and other major tiger reserves. In the last 150 years, the tigers’ range has shrunk by 93 per cent across Asia. Wildlife protected areas form less than four per cent of India’s land area.”
An edited version of this article can be be read from the link below:
http://tigercensus2013.blogspot.in/
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