Bengaluru: Safaris have been halted in the Bandipur and Nagarhole Tiger Reserves until further notice. Karnataka forest minister Eshwar Khandre ordered an immediate shutdown after a farmer died in a tiger attack Friday. The death, the third tiger-related one this month in the region, also triggered attacks by villagers against forest officials and has once again spotlighted the human-wildlife conflict.
Friday’s attack took place in the Moleyuru range, Hediyala sub-division of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Farmer Chowdiah Naik was in a field with his cattle when he was attacked by a tigress and killed on the spot.
According to Paramesh, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Hediyala sub-division, movement of tigers during mating season is very common in these areas every year. This year, the movement has been slightly high. He told ThePrint that encroachment on the forest fringes continues to be one of the biggest problems, and is one of the reasons behind the conflict.
Thick weeds, too, are causing a lot of problems in the surrounding fields and high vegetation in the canals and other such places creates a sort of hiding place for tigers. Now, a collective decision has been made, including all stakeholders, that the weeds should be cleared, said Paramesh.
One more problem, he added, was that despite repeated warnings, many villagers ventured alone into these risky areas, making them more vulnerable to attacks.
Camera traps have now been placed at strategic positions to capture and rescue the tiger involved, said the forest officer.
According to a release from the ministry, the decision to halt safaris was taken after numerous complaints were received from villagers that increased safari movements were causing tigers to come out and attack people. Staff in the safari wing are now being deployed for the capture and rescue of the tiger. Dr Ullas Karanth, a leading tiger expert, said the root cause of the increasing conflict was not wildlife tourism. “The main cause is unnaturally high prey and tiger densities due to excessive habitat manipulations such as creation of water resources, cleared areas and artificial grasslands.”
These habitat manipulations result in 2 to 3 times higher densities than natural densities, as well as higher survival rates of cubs. Another trigger is the playing up of so-called harmonious coexistence by media and activists, he added.
“Voluntary relocation of families from critical tiger habitats has come to a standstill in the last 10 years because of official lethargy and disinterested politicians. If reaction is not rational and science-based, the conflict will only increase,” Dr Karanth told ThePrint.
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Deaths & assault
Friday’s was the third death but the fourth tiger attack in the same sub-division of Hediyala in Bandipur Tiger Reserve within the span of one month. In one other case, a tiger attack victim lost his eye and is recovering after plastic surgery.
Examining the earlier incidents, which took place last month, it seems the first two attacks were a result of tigers trying to protect their cubs. The first attack happened reportedly when the victim was pelting stones at a tigress and its cubs. In the second attack, two weeks later by a different tigress, three persons were walking in the field when they heard a growl. Two fled the spot but the victim came close to touch tiger cubs and was attacked and killed. The third attack happened when the victim tried to protect his cattle.
What followed these tiger attacks was alleged retaliatory violence by villagers against forest department staff and some police personnel. After Friday’s attack, a female range forest officer, Amrutha, was reported to have been beaten badly along with many others, who were admitted to hospital. One deputy forest officer was hit in his spinal cord and is in a serious condition. Speaking to ThePrint, Praveen Bhargav, former member of the National Board for Wildlife, said, “While over 10,000 people are killed every year due to road accidents in the state, the unfortunate deaths due to wildlife is just under 50.”
“Elected representatives who are under a constitutional obligation to protect wildlife must see this in proper perspective before blaming the forest department which does not have control over free-ranging wild animals. Some local people with vested interests in timber, mining, land-grabbing etc. tend to use such incidents to settle scores with the department and assault frontline staff,” he added. “This must be dealt with strongly. Demands for encroachment regularisation, ad-hoc grant of C&D class wooded areas in forest fringes and corridors must not be entertained since it directly causes conflict.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Bandipur Tiger Reserve in 2023, marking the 50th year of Project Tiger. During his visit, he went on a safari and publicly expressed admiration for the natural beauty and wildlife of the reserve; though he didn’t spot any tigers.
Tejus RS is an alum of ThePrint School of Journalism, contributing to ThePrint
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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