More tusker bodies found in Simlipal; experts sound alarm

[Lakshminarayanan Nataraja]

This is very disturbing. Reports reveal that Similipal is one of the strongholds of elephants in Eastern India.

Whenever there is even a rumour that there are organized poaching gangs operating, it is time for the department to be on their heels, seek police support.

Our charishmatic megafauna species are in great distress.

[Bibhav Behera]

Some more updates on this...

BHUBANESWAR: The mass deaths of elephants reported inside Simlipal forest last month was the handiwork of poachers who used poison and guns to silence the animals, according to a Central government inquiry report. It added that forest staff tried to destroy the evidences in a bid to conceal the incidents and recommended stringent action against the erring staff.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had sent noted environmentalists, Belinda Wright and Biswajit Mohanty, to Simlipal in June in the wake of media reports about mass slaughter of elephants. The team made extensive tour of the 5,000 sq km biosphere area for about a week, discussed the situation with officials, villagers, local environment activists before submitting its report.

The report described Simlipal as one of world's "largest contiguous tiger and elephant habitats" and expressed grave concern over the unabated killing of animals. Unless drastic measures are taken forthwith the situation could go out of hand, it said. "As we were signing off on this report, we received news about deaths of eight more elephants bringing the total to possibly 18 dead elephants in Simlipal, all possibly killed by poisoning and gunshot," they observed in their report.

The report said, "Situation in Simlipal is chronic warranting serious shake-up."

"Simlipal Tiger Reserve is too precious to be left unattended or uncontrolled. It is our considered opinion that unless our recommendations are swiftly implemented by the state and NTCA, that we may soon see a disastrous situation," they observed.

The report indicated population of tiger, elephant and other animals are drastically falling in the forest and cited field records, statements of forest staff including the field director, to prove the point. "Tiger sightings have never been frequent in the thick vegetation of Simlipal. The Field Director, who joined in July 2009, is yet to see a tiger, as is the case with the Deputy Director. Of the field staff we questioned, one had sighted a tiger in December 2009, while others said they usually find a set of pugmarks after a gap of between 10 days to two months," the report stated.

The investigators were "skeptical" about the 2010 April census of 551 elephants in Simlipal up from 434 in 2007. They were also not convinced about the January census by the state forest department claiming adult tiger population at 47 as against 21 recorded during the 2008 census by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). As regards other animals, the report said sambar and dhole are hardly sighted. "Sadly, the last dhole was sighted in 1996, near Barehipani," the report pointed out. The rare recording of cattle kills indicates the deteriorating tiger population in Simlipal, it said.

The report referred to the repeated Maoist attacks on Simlipal and said quoted local villagers as admitting their "presence" in the area. "Although there are two Special Operational Groups (SOGs) stationed inside the Park, they hardly serve as morale boosters since they do not carry out joint patrols with the forest staff. Poachers and timber smugglers have greatly benefited from the Maoist threat perception since it enables them to operate freely inside the Park in the absence of armed forest staff to confront them," the report said.

"The extremists had targeted the forest department infrastructure and razed a number of buildings to the ground. Even today, a year after the attacks, the forest staff of Simlipal feels unable to carry out their daily tasks in fear of further attacks from the extremists. As a result of this, the wildlife and the habitat are suffering gravely," the report added.

It made 25 recommendations, including urgent need to stop regular incursion of local people in groups for poaching and seizure of country-made guns largely available in the area, to save Simlipal.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...ow/6230042.cms