Holy Cow Stray Dog Menace & Feeding A Danger to Humans And Wildlife

Stray Dog Menace

Indian Wild Dog 

In Africa, stray dogs, and domesticated ones near major wildlife habitats like Maasai Mara are vaccinated against rabies and other deadly disease. 

Do we take such steps?

"My guess is as good as yours. I guess we do not," Well though it is difficult to say that such vaccination programs are not being carried out by authorities, nevertheless, the dog menace remains a big threat.  Dangers lurk the most in our urban areas and villages where the stray dogs roam free and multiply at will. 

Deer in Danger

They have started to form packs to hunt down the deer that roam in the forests and those that enter human settlements. Among the most threatened species is the chital deer or the spotted deer (axis axis). They are being hunted down by roaming dogs all over India.

Feeding Wild & Stary Animals

Indians have a penchant for feeding animals without discerning whether it is good or bad for them. Some consider feeding stray and wild animals as a sacred act that will reflect positively on health, wealth, and happiness as a result of good Karma. 

We consider the cow holy and that is good, nothing to ridicule. But should we let them survive on throwaways or garbage? Stray cows are a major danger on the roads everywhere, and an International Embarrassment, the owners after milking them leave them on the streets to roam around. The free-roaming cattle are jeopardizing traffic which is leading to a very high number of road accidents and deaths. Is this how we treat our holiest animal? 

Shelters for Stray Animals & Vaccination - Cows & Dogs

There should be proper shelters for street cows, and why not for stray dogs if we cannot sterilize and vaccinate them. For example, in absence of proper vaccination, the dairy industry is under threat from lumpy skin disease. The cattle around the reserves have led to the transmission of rinderpest, and foot and mouth disease killing a large number of bison and swamp deer in our forests.  

What impact disease-carrying stray dogs are having on the dhole has not been studied? Field biologists contend with research on the instincts and behavior of wild animals in natural surroundings. I hope they are including diverse threat factors especially socio-economic, and political impact created by dense humanity around our forests.   

Reason Behind Feeding Wild Animals 

Feeding human fodder to Hanuman Langurs, rhesus macaques, and other wild denizens impact their natural instincts and food consumption habit. I have seen scores of langurs and rhesus macaques lined along highways, tourist places, and busy streets of bazaars awaiting morsels thrown by humans. This unnatural assemblage has created a major threat and nuisance all over India.

Hinduism and many indigenous ideologies are inclined toward nature. The sacred elements it considers worthy of holy status comprise other life forms. This is a good belief since the ideology and religious dogmas teach us to respect all life forms that make up the living planet called Earth. 

Sensitivity towards other life forms is exalting, but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Offering human food to stray dogs, or wild animals is not a good practice.  Animal adoption as in Zoos, or domesticating a stray dog is the answer. But this does not mean letting them free on the road, they should be offered sanctuary within the house as we do with the pedigree. This is the answer as some NGOs with a court injunction and our own ahimsa does not allow the culling of stray dogs. 

Threat to Dholes or Wild Dogs

The greatest threat is perhaps to the wild dogs or dholes in our reserves, and some nonprotected areas that constitute conventional reserve forests. The frequent human habitats in search of prey.

The wild dog population is vacillating in the reserve, and the forests outside. Even in Kanha, where I was working as a naturalist, the packs usually seen in robust numbers are missing from many traditionally dominated areas. Some of them are losing ground with humanity strangling the remaining crown cover in the buffer beside transmitted diseases. Is the reason behind the dwindling status? 

I think the same stands true for these least studied animals in other reserves and National Parks. 

Will they go down like the Great Indian Bustard, the Indian Wolf, and the Hyena in India?     

Interferences & Conservation Policies 

In India, conservation is impacted by statutory compliance as defined by injunctions, political interventions, and by the pressure of some biased NGOs. Nothing else matters, those Field Managers who do not comply with the limits are literary shown the boot by higher-ups, and the politically powerful lords. Field management practices for the wardens are not a free-hand endeavor, they work under shackles, some are good, while others hinder conservation initiatives.    

Conservation policies are not straight-lined policies as we the common citizen believe. The frameworks depend upon many factors that include the impact on financing bodies, vote banks, religious sensitivities, cost, linear development projects, and precedence to human rights over rights of other life forms. 

Some good work is being done on the conservation front by ruling dispensations. But! We are also responsible! Let us admit that we are selfish, and run after the moolah. And, the other life forms, the amazing biodiversity is entirely at our mercy as has been happening for centuries. Nothing Surprising.

But it is not right to blame everything on the Government we as common citizens should also aid in preserving nature in our vicinity, and help secure remaining natural spots in neighborhoods, villages, farmlands, towns, and cities with fervor. 

In most conservation imbroglios macro solutions work the best. Can we as intelligent voters provide them?   

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Uday has worked as a naturalist for a number of years at Kanha National Park in Central India. He is fond of writing on conservation issues and is a storyteller for the common man. 

Uday works as SEO for Digital Marketing and Content Writer. He also teaches digital marketing in Jabalpur. He is closely connected to nature as a naturalist.    

He can be contacted at:

Mob/Wattsapp: 09755089323

pateluday90@hotmail.com

Tiger Conservation : Macro Solutions

The root causes of the threat to big cat conservation in India are multifarious. Nevertheless, the picture is not as gloomy with some fantastic conservation successes. But the doomsday still looms large in spite of favorable policies and legislation being implemented. The frequent instances of poaching, accidents, and habitat loss state that much more has to be done.  

India is a vastly diverse country with a considerable amount of freedom whatever the detractors and few others opine. There are expressed and practiced a lot of diverse views within the framework of the constitution which is good for democracy. There are few of those with extraterrestrial loyalty and stance that opposes whatever the country stands for - they are surviving anyway. In tiger conservation they are inconsequential but a big threat to the Nation as a whole. 

But overzealous, power-hungry politicians are not left out of the purview since they oppose even those policies which are productive and beneficial. Hunger for power, corruption and fanatical opposition of those in the prevailing dispensation is the reason. Some undue power practices in the country impact all aspects of management including conservation.      

But as far as the tiger is considered there needs to be an aggressive unified stance for its protection and conservation. Right from the beginning of the onslaught, the beleaguered predator has been the victim of human apathy. It has not so far faced any extensive biological threat from inbreeding, pathogens or disease affliction of various orders. The threat is from within. It is how we manage our environment to a large extent and the land use patterns adopted for a country slated for fast pace development modeled upon that adopted by the developed Nations. Huge Dams and Mega Projects that impact the environment are doubtful implementations that may impact water resources and forests our green lungs. In most cases, the ecological cost of mega infrastructures has not been taken into account?   

With a huge population to feed, and an economy always under stress managing species conservation and ecosystems is at crossroads. The system is further stressed whence the question of saving species arises which in the near perspective appears inconsequential to many.  

The stress upon development in terms of infrastructure is immense...and the industrial upswing due to cheap labor is inevitable. The environment is further vitiated by rapid urbanization taking place often at the cost of natural places with microecology. This is giving rise to a conflict that accords little room for species conservation and preservation of ecosystems already decimated to a large extent. Man-animal conflict is widespread prevailing for example. 

Another threat the animal faces is the populist nature of democracy with great emphasis on appeasement for political gains. This leaves little room for endangered species, especially in the corridors of the safe heavens. The legal provisions and law and order practices are at best compromising. With large settlements and agrarian pressure further undermined by political expediency and populism, the threat perception is not chimerical at all. In spite of the increasing population with a core of the tiger reserves and expansion of viable habitats, the danger persists to its survival in India. The cards fall in favor of humans and neglect other life forms. We live in a human-dominated World with policies disparately favoring us at the cost of other forms of life and precious natural resources.    

There are people in politics, the bureaucracy some NGOs and many in public who care hoots for  saving the big cats. 

Although the creation of Protected Areas and enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 have been milestones in stemming the rot that had set in during the Raj, and to some extent, in the post-independence era, nothing consequential has happened in later days that expresses deep concern for our wilderness.     

The frequent instance of poaching with weak legal implications organized trade in wild animal parts, and frequent infringement of habitats outside the core of the PAs need immediate redress. These anomalies are further accentuated by forest clearance due to firewood demand, and increasing land for industries, agriculture, and settlement.  

Paradoxically the system appears to be  focused more on tiger tourism which is benign under the watch, generates revenue and powers local economies. 

A consensus between the field biologists, wildlife managers, bureaucrats, and those in power is needed as imperative. Sound policies for inviolate premises and efforts to save habitats outside the reserves is need of the hour. This should begin with stemming urbanization and controlling commercialization in the immediate confines of the PAs. Greater stress should be placed on eco-friendly tourism infrastructure and livelihood initiatives around critical tiger habitats. 

The PAs at the moment are islands for conservation, but with the constant threat of inbreeding and increasing populations, the creation of viable corridors is a must. Few in power would wager since it would call for large-scale translocation of human settlements. Macro solutions are the need of the hour, and this should happen if we wish to save the tiger in India. 

Although successive Governments have kept an eye on the conservation of our National Animal initiatives much bolder steps are required. There is no shortage of expert wildlife managers in India to guide the process. A greater political will and public participation or rather an encouragement is required. Jai Hind!                             

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Uday Works as Freelance Naturalist and Blogs on conservation, tigers, and environmental issues.

He also provides SEO and Website Content in English. He teaches Digital Marketing in Jabalpur in the summer.

He can be contacted at:

Mail: pateluday90@hotmail.com
 Mob: 09755089323

             

Tiger Conservation The Buck Stops Here

The passing of legislation (Wildlife Protect Act 1972) and creation of protected areas, and the Project Tiger Program were milestones that laid the foundation of nature conservation in India. For the first time after independence the country had a serious look at the status of its wilderness. 

Subsequently a series of corrective measures were taken. Tiger was at the helm of conservative initiatives. The beleaguered animal had lost lot of ground, thanks to indiscriminate hunting, poaching and extensive loss of habitat.

The creation of protected areas was a master stroke, especially the inviolate core zones. In the core zones no human habitation except that of the forest staff is allowed, all activities relating to forest produce do not take place. As a result the ecosystems have vastly improved. The outer ring of the forests contains the buffer zone which is an amalgamation of forests patches, villages, fields and public road network. The buffer forests are patchily linked with  the regular forests, status of which is anybody's guess. 

Tiger Image Courtesy: Mukund Yadav

With proper initiatives, the the big cat has gained some ground in the recent times. Many well managed parks have seen a rise in population. But with the success have arisen problems galore. 

The buffer zone is inept in containing the swelling population of big cats and the prey. There is a regular decline in the forest cover due to illegal logging which has reduced the habitats into fragments often degraded, some of which are completely nonviable.      

The human population in India is swelling here like anywhere else and this is hampering the movement of wild animals. The extreme biotic pressure is weighing down on the wild  inhabitants of the ecosystems. The loss of space as degradation increases is apparent, so is altered behaviour seen among the big cats.    

If we have to see a constant rise in population of tertiary consumers space is vital. The maximum number of conflicts with humans occur in the buffer. Animals do not understand the concept of protected area, for them any good habitat is worth moving into. The presence of humans in large numbers and their activities are discouraging for a tiger seeking new pastures. 

The tiger is sensitive to human presence like the hard ground swamp deer. Though the big cat survives along with humans its breeding and life span are reduced. The conflict amplifies whence it is forced to prey of livestock.  In many of our tiger reserves a large number of livestock are regularly preyed upon, and besides the human antipathy generated the big cat becomes susceptible to disease transmission and poaching as well.         

Animals have been electrocuted, snared, shot and exterminated by poisoning their kill. (Sometimes exterminated legally). Even if some PA's may not be under the scanner of organised poachers opportunists are present everywhere and the cases are on the rise.     

Hence if we wish to increase tiger population in India, we have to conserve effectively all the remaining habitats irrespective of their status. Though it is impossible to create extensive inviolate grounds, conservative initiatives need a paradigm shift as far as human inhabited habitats are concerned.  

Some of the macro solutions could be control and reduction of human populations, alternative to pastoral lifestyle, alternative fuel supply, restriction on construction and commercialisation. Many laudable steps have already been taken but require a greater impetus. In time to come more solutions will emerge.   

Wildlife tourism in buffer zones has been lauded by many conservationists. They believe greater protection measures will augur as a result of increased importance of the status of habitats there. A rise in equity is certain to increase the importance of our wilderness hence well managed tourism does play a part.       

(But safaris in the buffer zones are a poor alternative to the experience in the core. Hence there are few takers.The habitats here do offer good bird watching experience.)