Category: Miscellaneous

05 Dec 2023 08:39

Joined:	23/09/2015
Level:	Gold
Points:	63032

Points:	5

How can this potential menace be checked/controlled ?

Nowadays I have been visiting Uttarakhand very frequently. As for example, in the month of September, I went to Kotdwar and then from Kotdwar I went to Lansdowne. In November, I went to Garhwal Srinagar. To make my trips adventurous, I went to these places by car, although I go to Dehradun by air.

While travelling by car, I noticed two major problems. There have been lots of construction activities going on in Uttarakhand hills-all for tourism purpose. Further, landslides have increased a lot.

But, I am not going to discuss these two problems in this post. I am going to take up a third issue.

In all places of Uttarakhand, I have come to know that leopard population has increased by leaps and bounds. As a result, leopards are frequently coming in localities, even in bigger towns. In Lansdowne, I was staying at a distance of 1 km. from the main chowk, but the hotel manager told me not to move out after 6.30 p.m. Sighting of leopard is a common phenomenon near Garhwal Rifles HQ at Lansdowne. In Srinagar, the Vice-Chancellor of the University which I visited, told me that leopards regularly come to the picturesque university campus. She told me that only a day before my visit, two leopards were sitting just outside her bunglow at night.

These leopards have started lifting cattles from human habitation. In Srinagar, there was even a case of death of an old woman by leopard. As leopards are very adaptive and visit human habitation more regularly than tigers, conflict with humans is bound to increase along with unfortunate incidents.

My question is: How to control the increasing population of leopards in Uttarakhand, when it is a punishable offence to kill wild animals?

#775973

05 Dec 2023 11:34

Joined:	18/10/2008
Level:	Platinum
Points:	260858

Points:	7

First of all, we need to stop destroying their habitat in the name of infrastructure development. With less and less green cover, they are straying further and further into human habitats. We have taken away their homes, now they are considered to be intruders in ours.

In the case of metros, I've read about forest department officials setting traps for wild animals that stray into the city area. That is what is required. At places where they have been spotted, such as outside the VC's bungalow, set the trap, capture them, and release them in a thick forested area. If, due to increasing construction activities and landslides, the forest cover has diminished in the State, perhaps they can be transported to large wildlife sanctuaries in another State where they can have a better life and not endanger humans.

When you make a commitment, you create hope. When you keep a commitment you create trust! ~ John C. Maxwell

#775978

05 Dec 2023 19:10

Joined:	02/06/2009
Level:	Diamond
Points:	145553

Points:	5

I agree with Vandana. We should not convert green jungles to concrete jungles. The animals that are losing their places will move to all possible areas. If a person is not able to earn food in his place, he will look for an alternative place where he can earn his food. The same is the case here. Deforestation is the main problem. We have to think about how to retain these green fields green. We have to give up the habit of cutting trees.
Coming to the question of catching hold of these animals traps are the only way. The concerned officials should plan and place traps in various places and see that these animals will be shifted to a place where they will find their food and place to stay.
Human beings must see that nature will be protected and all living beings will have their places to live. Then only we will be happy on this earth. Let us live and let others live on should be our way of life.

drrao
always confident

#775979

05 Dec 2023 20:29

Joined:	23/09/2015
Level:	Gold
Points:	63032

Points:	1

I am afraid I could not explain my points properly. The deforestation is definitely the cause behind wild animals venturing into human habitation, but it is almost an irreversible process. The urbanization won't encourage aforestation, at best deforestation can be slowed down to some extent. Then how to solve the problem?

Moreover, leopards are very intelligent, particularly those leopards who live near human habitation. They can easily identify traps. So, placing traps at strategic position is not so easy. Further, Forest Department doesn't have adequate number of traps everywhere.

Finally, I meant to say that population growth of leopards is very high compared to the population growth of tigers and other carnivores. I would like to know if population control of leopards is possible (just like population control of stray dogs is carried out by different municipalities)?

If we don't start thinking on the growing population of leopards in Uttarakhand, we may again hear some other stories like 'The man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag'.

(a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
(b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

#775982

06 Dec 2023 12:16

Joined:	25/11/2014
Level:	Diamond
Points:	43292

Points:	4

Deforestation is the main cause for the leopards for their visits to the city areas. What Partha Sir has indicated in his post is not the departure from the truth that the leopards are basically intelligent animals having enough sense to detect traps and would try their best to avoid such spots laid out by the traps.
Arresting their populations can be a real solution though time consuming and taking such an initiative might not be the immediate answer. Shifting these leopards to the greenery jungles on the regular basis from the sides of the forestry staffs seems to be the practical solution but it needs an approval by all parties involved in making this decision effective.

#775987

06 Dec 2023 16:47

Joined:	04/05/2009
Level:	Gold
Points:	31278

Points:	5

As mentioned by Partha Sir, deforestation is the main cause for such incidents. Normally it is seen in almost all major cities especially in Chennai the waterbeds like lake etc., are converted into living areas and when the heavy rainfall faced they cried that the water has come into their houses etc., Moreover because of them the rain water or water released from the reservoirs as got overflown, are diverted into city houses and the entire city faced much problem with water flood.
Further, I went to attend one death ceremony at Tambaram side of Chennai. The crematorium was in Chitlapakkam, one place near Tambaram. By the side of Crematorium we saw some company and houses. A relative of the person died told me that the crematorium have erroneously constructed amidst the residential area. I told him, 'No sir, our people only constructed their houses and companies near crematorium'.
Like this everything we are doing but accusing government.

#775997

08 Dec 2023 06:59

Joined:	10/12/2016
Level:	Diamond
Points:	109190

Points:	5

I will like to add some more points to this discussion. If you go back in time in Uttarakhand area, there were small villages and a few towns located far away from each other and in between there were huge forests in which many wild animal survived.
Unfortunately, with the rapid urbanisation in that part of our country inline with the overall urbanization in our country the things started to change drastically. The towns became bigger and bigger and changed into cities. Villages were connected to nearby towns and a lot of motor roads were made to cover the entire area by bus or car.
This eventually divided the huge forests into small units and the area of approach for the wild animals decreased significantly. They started to come in contact of the villages and nearby human settlements.
As per the wild animals protection act we can't kill them but the at the same time we don't have any method to stop them to come to the urban areas especially when they are so near to it.

Knowledge is power.

#776053

14 Dec 2023 19:20

Joined:	19/06/2011
Level:	Gold
Points:	87960

Points:	3

Animal-Human conflict comes (1) when the natural habitat of the wild animals shrinks in area by human encroachment
(2) when the food and water for the wild animals become insufficient or not available in their natural habitat.
The main reason for this is the human greed and mentality that humans only should exist in this world.

Not just leopards but elephants, wild boars etc. also no reach human settlements near the forest areas.

How can this potential menace be checked/controlled ?

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