Dudhwa loses
another tiger
At the fag end of
January, there came news that yet another tiger was found dead in Dudhwa
tiger reserve. As usually happens in such cases, wildlife circles were
abuzz with discussions about the possible causes of its death. In the
absence of any concrete information dissemination by the Forest
department, either though the print media or the internet, it is not
surprising that one perforce has to base one’s inferences on reports
that emanate from individuals or organizations which are actively
involved in conservation activities in the area where the incident
occurred. This unfortunately creates a situation where some doubts are
raised against the efficacy of the Forest department, and often leads to
a face-off between the department and the conservationists.
In this case too, there
is just the preliminary official confirmation that the body of a tiger
had been recovered on 29 January, from the Belrayan range of Dudhwa
tiger reserve. Following standard procedure, the park management
conducted the obligatory post mortem and sent the viscera to Bareilly
for detailed examination, while burning the rest of the body. It is this
examination report from Bareilly that would be the final instrument of
proof that ascertains whether the tiger had been poisoned, or if it died
of causes other than poaching.
But during the
intervening period, till the report is finally made available to the
department, and hopefully made public, it is inevitable that allegations
and suspicions will be raised across the line that has so deeply divided
standard opinions of the department and conservationists, both of which
are paradoxically working towards the same end – that of providing the
remaining wild tigers with a fighting chance of survival against the
machinations of the poachers and wildlife traders.
Considering that the
layout of Dudhwa has more than its fair share of reasons for its tiger
population coming into conflict with the humans living in its
surrounding areas, there have been adequate number of previous cases
where tigers have been poisoned by villagers as an instinctive response
to either a perceived threat from the big cat, or in retaliation against
the inevitable cattle-killing by tigers in an area where grazing herds
are pushed into the forest by herders, to whom the grass always seems
greener on the other side.
It is these cases of
poisonings that have now been so universally accepted as the main
causative factor of tiger deaths in Dudhwa. So whenever a tiger is now
found dead, one finger of suspicion always points in the direction of
the villagers who, ostensibly angry at losing livestock to the great
predator, or due to the fact that the tiger’s territory may have become
dangerously close to their homes and fields, could have resorted to
lacing the tiger’s kill with massive doses of pesticide. It is
another matter however, that this 'angry villager' syndrome that we seem
to be getting trapped in, would be such a welcome smoke screen for the
real poacher-trader nexus, which is thriving so brazenly on tiger bones
and parts.
Be that as may, it stands
to reason that the protection of tigers in Dudhwa is an enormously
difficult task for the Forest department, since a free ranging cat like
the tiger is bound to suffer when it comes in conflict with humans
living in the vicinity of its shrinking habitat, and who are constantly
making inroads or trespassing into core areas. It is therefore
reasonable to give concessions to the people for whom saving the tiger
and its habitat is just a government job, and a tough one too. But it is
surely hoped that they would not evade responsibility if tiger deaths
were caused by lapses committed in this job.
For the sake of honesty
and transparency, it would therefore be prudent to await the report of
the viscera examination from Bareilly, and all the while hope that
wildlife management in Dudhwa has not been once again bested by the
nefarious poacher.