NTCA asks tiger reserves to conduct anti-snare, anti-electrocution drives

Nagpur: Stung by the series of tiger and leopards deaths, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has directed field directors of tiger-bearing states to organize

anti-snare

and

anti-electrocution drives

for safe tiger and wildlife habitats.

The directives were issued by Rajendra G Garawad, deputy inspector general of forests, on January 14. However, not many tiger reserves have taken the issue seriously as electrocution threats are mostly in areas encompassing territorial forests, which are outside tiger reserves.

The officials have been asked to conduct such drives with the help of local communities on a quarterly basis around tiger reserves and submit reports to NTCA. This also includes creating awareness among local communities about the law and punishment against killing tigers and other animals.

The directives came after tiger toll in 2021 jumped to 165, as per the database of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), and 126 by NTCA. In Maharashtra alone, five tigers were lost during year-end and early January 2022, due to electrocution and poisoning.

As reported by TOI on January 5, 2022, at least 19 tigers and 25 leopards, besides 10 gaurs, 6 sloth bears and 26 other wild animals were electrocuted in the last five years, from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021.

On the drive, Jayoti Banerjee, CCF & field director of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), said, “We have already started the drive in sensitive villages in all the forest divisions. Locals are also being made aware about provisions in law and punitive action thereon.”

Tadoba deputy director (core) Nandkishore Kale said, “The anti-snare drive is being undertaken on the fringes of the park. The flip side is that farmers lay snare traps in the evening and remove them in the morning.”

In April 2019, a section of villagers living inside the core area of Tadoba had laid steel wire traps for herbivores but a tigress was killed. The villagers inside the tiger reserves are habitual wild animal killers and do it for bushmeat.

In November 2020, a similar advisory was issued by NTCA against tiger mortality due to electrocution. Maharashtra and MP were identified as hotspots where frequent electrocution cases have been reported. However, there is no change in the situation.