A tiger dies caught in a
snare set for catching wild ungulates - ©Vinod/Team
bhpForum
Images of confiscated tiger or leopard pelts seem to be a
common feature in Indian media these days. There is an escalation in seizure of
wildlife products depicting either increased vigil by enforcement authorities or
increase in poaching incidences or a combination of these two. Interestingly,
the species confiscated are more diverse than earlier. In the past, wildlife products
confiscated mostly consisted of parts from rare or economically prized wildlife
species such as tiger, leopard, otter and elephant. Now, even common species are
increasingly finding their place in the list of seized materials. Barn owl,
sand boa, soft shell turtle, axis deer and many other commonly found wildlife
species are incessantly targeted by poachers. Similarly, the quantity of tiger
and leopard pelts and elephant ivory seized has been on the rise. It looks like
the booming economies of China and South East Asian countries have increased
the demand for wildlife products.
Poaching of wildlife happens at two scales, for meat or for body
parts. Hunting for meat is largely carried out by individuals or by loosely
formed groups targeting high meat yielding species, or species that are high on
the list of taste buds.
Hunting for body parts is controlled by organized
syndicates. Shockingly, loosely knit local poachers are now trying to hunt high
value wildlife species to find their way into the organized syndicates. Many
accused recently arrested with tiger and leopard pelts confess to have
opportunistically poached big cats or collected elephant ivory in the hope of
finding ways to sell their valuable catch uncovering a disturbing trend.
Interestingly, several of the people recently arrested
trying to buy common wildlife species are from the real estate business. At a
period when real estate profits were low, it is believed these entrepreneurs relied
on black magic to enhance their profits.
People hunt wildlife for sport, religious reasons, to earn
supplementary income and some with large income motivations. Humans have been
hunting in the tropical forests for 100,000 years. So what is alarming about
wildlife poaching? The fact that the scale and consumption levels have gone
beyond sustainable levels, atleast in the Indian context. Science says that
wild meat hunting will be unsustainable when human densities exceed 1
person/square kilometer. Unlike in some parts of Africa, South America and small
parts of India, people do not depend on wild meat as a primary source of
protein. Wherever hunting is sustainable it is only due to the fact that human
densities are so low that offtakes do not make any dent on wildlife
populations.
Leopard pelts are being
increasingly seized by enforcement authorities - ©Sharathbabu
Effects of hunting
Hunting is a loser’s game. It affects wildlife at various intensities
including at individual , population and
landscape levels. Hunting leads to decreased wildlife densities. In some cases
even if the species is not locally extinct, it would not be performing its
ecological functions due to the miniscule numbers; hence can be considered as ‘ecologically
extinct’. Hunting of bird species such as hornbills, that provide key ecosystem
services through seed dispersal, could upset the forest complex as plant
species dependent on hornbills for dispersal can go locally extinct.
India lost tigers from Sariska and Panna tiger reserves during
the last decade and media increasingly reports stories of confiscated wildlife
products. So have we taken our eye off the ball? Increasingly, our focus and
determination to carry out old fashioned activities has given way to other conservation
enforcement strategies. The time tested foot patrolling is key to control
wildlife poaching. Success stories, at least in parts, have come through dedicated
long-term efforts of a few forest officials well supported by their ground team
who believed in this fundamental practice to combat poaching.
Wildlife numbers
bounced back under these situations. Currently, even with increased resources
and the best of legislations, few believe in this reliable system. A snare or a
jaw trap can be detected only through foot patrolling; there is no alternative
to this and unfortunately few care about this.
Behavioral changes in people will take a long time to become
a reality. Till people wholeheartedly stop killing wildlife we need our foot
soldiers to scan, monitor, and handle poaching as a primary conservation
threat. However, to make them more effective and keep them motivated, we need
to enhance the incentives provided to these trench warriors. A forest watcher continues
to languish in the hot and humid jungles with little amenities. To improve his
condition, he needs full support of those
key people in decision making positions.
Ungulates such as chital are largely killed for their meat -
©Sanjay
Gubbi
It will be foolhardy not to recognize this renewed
conservation threat and appropriately implement strategies to save our
endangered wildlife species. Needless to say our hard learnt lessons from
Sariska and Panna will mean very little in the larger conservation context.
Some key wildlife species hunted in southern India
Species largely hunted for meat consumption
|
Species hunted for trade of body parts or as live animals
|
|
Chital
Sambar
Gaur
Wild pig
Barking deer
Mouse deer
Jungle cat
Flying squirrel
Giant squirrel
Blacknaped hare
Porcupine
Pangolin
Hanuman langur
Fruit bats
Partridges and quail
Jungle fowl
Monitor lizard
|
Tiger*
Leopard*
Elephant*
Otter*
Jackal*
Mongoose*
Star tortoise&
Owls+
Sand boa+
Soft shell turtles+
|
*for body parts, & for pet trade, +recent
increase mostly for black magic purposes.
Why not farm wildlife to reduce pressure on wild
populations?
Though a very attractive theoretical concept, it often
hasn’t worked in practice. Field evaluations have clearly shown that people
prefer wild animals compared to farmed wildlife products. Crocodiles, turtles,
porcupines, bear and other species that have been widely farmed in China and
Vietnam continue to face extinction in these countries. Studies show that
breeders continue to source meat from the wild and founder stock due to lower
costs and higher consumer demand for wild caught meat compared to farm bred
animals.
An edited version of this article was published in Deccan Herald on 07-05-2012
No comments:
Post a Comment