Itanagar, May 25 (ANI): No tangible action is surprisingly visible even after the gunfire attack on Arunachal Pradesh's PCCF (wildlife and biodiversity) J.L. Singh-led high level team in the core area of the Namdapha Tiger Reserve (NTR) on March 12, which made global headlines.The incident no doubt prompted the visit of a prime minister-headed National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) team to the NTR during April 10-15 last for appraisal of the protection status, especially relating to complaints regarding local hunting and deployment of local workforce for protection besides the status of daily monitoring.
The team would undoubtedly submit its report to the Union Environment and Forests Ministry, but the Government of Arunachal Pradesh's silence is intriguing, for it has been promoting the NTR as one of the last Shangri-Las on earth because of its rich biodiversity (among the world's 12), and endangered flora and fauna, including four tiger species, which makes it the fourth best among 10 places on the earth to travel to, as identified by Global travel show, Lonely Planet.
The GoAP's nonchalant attitude is shocking even after local media reported that a camera trapping team of Aaranyak engaged in the tiger census was assaulted and their tents vandalized a Farm Base by a group of 12 armed people on March 2 last.
The protection hut at Farm Base, built at a cost of Rs.5 lakh, was completely destroyed and materials strewn all over. Moreover, Aaranyak had lost eight cameras that were stolen from NTR core areas, besides 24 memory cards from Farm Base camp.
'Charity begins at home' goes the common saying, as proved by Maharashtra government, which declared a cash reward of Rs.1 lakh to anyone who can provide information on poachers, followed by a historic order - shoot-at-sight - to the forest guards if they see any poacher hunting or laying traps in tiger reserves, issued by the State's Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam.
The poachers had reflected their audacity by killing a big cat and leaving its skin and tail at a spot outside the 1,100 sq km that protects the 625 sq km core area of Taboda Andheri Reserve in Chandrapur District as proof.
They dumped the tiger's paws, head, genitals and internal organs - liver, intestines, kidneys and the heart - stuffed in gunny bags in Boroda village near Chandrapur Mul state highway, barely 500 meters from the carcass on May 18 last.
The grisly act despite a high alert in the state to protect tigers even after an adult tiger was poached and another injured by a jaw trap on April 27 last had catapulted the Maharashtra government's move. However, wildlife activist Kishore Rithe of the Satpuda Foundation has demanded an SIT probe, saying "You can find poachers within a week if there's will."
The GoAP has announced that all crimes in the state will be thoroughly investigated and the guilty punished. If the activities of the poachers are crimes, has the GoAP ordered investigation into those crimes?
Teams of expert conservationists have valued Arunachal's ecosystem services at Rs.1, 500 billion per year, the highest in the world. These include supporting services - cultural services; cultural, intellectual and spiritual inspiration; recreational experiences including ecosystem and scientific discovery as defined by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report 2005.
Protecting biodiversity is important because "the tiger is considered our elder brother, and anyone killing the big cat, is either boycotted by society or the person goes into self-exile for a few months from the village to observe rituals for purification," said Arunachal Pradesh Biodiversity Board nodal officer and SFRI scientist Dr. G Murtem to underscore the value of indigenous traditions and taboos serving as deterrent against wanton destruction of the ecosystem.
When there is national and international outrage over tiger poaching, supported by a high profile regular TV campaign on all major channels, the poaching reports should serve as wakeup calls for authorities when a safe tiger haven like NTPWS seems to have been taken over by poachers.
Spread over 1985 sq km, Namdapha was named a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1972 and a National Park and a Tiger Reserve with 259 sq km core area in 1983. It is one of the only four such National Parks in the country touching an international border. Interestingly, the NTR is more than three times bigger than Kaziranga National Park, which is famed for its rhinoceros and tiger reserve over a 694 sq km area, including a core area of 105 sq km.
Sadly, the 84 Lisu families living in the NTR core area are reportedly threatening the king of the jungles, considered an umbrella species that determines the status of a forest, but the stoic silence of the GoAP is a question mark, which needs prompt reply.
India houses over half of the world's tiger population. According to NTCA's March 28, 2011 tiger census report, the current population stands at 1,706 (between minimum 1,571 to maximum 1,875) covering tiger habitats of 17 states, including the Northeastern hills and the Brahmaputra plains. The figure is up from 2008 figure of 1411. The recently concluded tiger census could push the figure still higher as predicted by this daily in its edition last 3rd March edition.
When the NTCA is blowing its global trumpet for increasing the tiger population, is Arunachal not one of the trumpets? If so, should the trumpet's owner remain silent? y Pradeep Kumar (ANI)
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