Covid-19 : Why Close The Tiger Parks?

After the frightening and murdering pandemic, we have developed cold feet and long ultra-sensitive ears. In this predicament, we have forgotten that the economy cannot be halted for long irrespective. Yes irrespective of the damage this bugger is doing, things will have to move on - albeit a paradigm will have to set in which will make us and the wildlife less susceptible to the pandemic. And we have enough time! Well nearly!

I have read that some people are interested in the closure of the tiger reserve during this pandemic which seems to cross over a year or more.

I am writing here (as an amateur) to plead for tiger tourism in our reserves. The show must go on!

The news of tigers being affected by coronavirus should not create panic since the conditions are different and so is the country. In the USA there are five thousand big cats in custody many in a private capacity and not part of an institution, such is the nature of policies that the country abides with.   

At the most, we should learn how to save tigers from this deadly pandemic from that incidence in captivity. We do have disease diagnostics and treatment centers for wild animals in India. 

People who are advocating the closure of National Parks and WLS for tiger tourism are displaying a haphazard and frenzied assessment. There are some points to consider regarding why tourism should be continued in these wildlife havens in India. 

• Tourists by regulation have to maintain distance from wild animals, especially tigers during the excursion.     
• A large workforce that comprises the management - Rangers, beat guards, vets, officers, and sundry labor will not be stopped from entering the core zones. This aberration would certainly lead to poaching, wood logging, and frequent trespass within the core.  Hence nobody will be able to prevent nearness to these animals in the core. 
• Human intervention often required will again bring the vets and helpers in close contact with the wild animals.
• In the buffer zones there is no check on human activities, hence chances of big cats and other animals closing up on humans are maximum. Closing tourism in the park will not prevent these incursions.  
• Most important we have forgotten the economy of the guides, drivers, and local small businesses. The resorts may not find it feasible to pay the staff they will definitely be reduced to the bare minimum.
  
  This extensive lockdown and the time of reopening of the parks in October 2020 have given us a lot of time to get things in proper order. And our Governments have been very alert and sincere in tackling this malady that would certainly act against harsh economic measures.
  
  The detractors will anyway find out how the wheels of the economy churn in spite of the pandemic. It is simply impossible to halt economic activities for a long time. I am talking about people who survive on daily wages and those with little savings. They will have to gear up to work pandemic or no pandemic. Mind You!
  
  Another factor we have to consider is that people in India are less affected by the pandemic, I mean infected. Secondly, a distancing and preventing mechanism is taking place. And most important tests and diagnoses are in place or increasing substantially in the country. This is the biggest safeguard against the further spread of disease.
  
  I am sure International or inbound arrivals would not be allowed to enter India without confirmation of their status.  Those who are found positive whether in their country before going on board, or in India upon entering will not be allowed to enter the parks as well.
  
  Local staff, I believe the forest department would have already tested them. The staff pertaining to a local institution in shops and commerce will have to carry a green certificate having been tested in recent times. 
  
  Those who are aware of our ecosystems and understand wilderness know very well how strong the immunity is among wild animals. Tigers and megafauna have immunity far stronger than humans and certainly those surviving in the harsh conditions of the wild World.
  
  I am writing as an amateur naturalist...but we have the right thinkers amongst our wildlife managers and policymakers hence sagacity will prevail.
  
  We must carry on with the show next October Onward!   

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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.

Uday Teaches Internet Marketing Classes in his hometown of Jabalpur in the Summer.  

He can be contacted at: 

pateluday90@hotmail.com

09755089323

Tiger Conservation and Locals - PAs - A Paradigm Shift!

On popular platforms, some expert writers, advocates, bloggers, and NGOs time and again suggest vociferously the greater involvement of the local communities in the conservation of our precious ecosystems i.e those remaining. Ironically what they mean is to do away with the protected area system...that has successfully shaped conservation in India, and brought many species out of extinction. Little do they know that the local communities in many instances have unintentionally damaged the natural lands and have brought many species onto the brink of extinction. Our small tiger reserves are a shameful example of land shrunken drastically due exploitation of forests by an ever-growing population of humans and subsequent denudation.

Tiger

Swamp Deer

The threat perception is real and their (authors/advocates) understanding of species survival is at best limited, and they have no cognition of critical habitats and or protected areas that should and must remain inviolate. 

We need thinkers, policymakers, and activists who understand the predicament that other life forms are facing in this human-centric World. Conservation management is scientific, bound by rationale and not by emotions, and in the present context certainly not by human history. 

PA concept is not at all elitist or discriminatory as many would advocate, it is based on scientific rationale and most important it provides succor to other life forms, and does away with omnipresent human footsteps considering the massive population bulge we have in this country. The sore point for some is that it facilitates tourism which many consider elitist without giving a thought to the conservation impetus it creates among the masses and the revenue and much-needed employment it generates among the locals. In years of its popularity, the ecosystems have benefited from regulated tourism and should now be an issue of least concern.   

The forests for example were always pristine and literally inviolate since the population span was contained in the centuries gone past. Not so in contemporary times whence the population span has expanded beyond means and hardly any space for the survival of species is left inviolate. If this had not been the case the concept of a protected area would have not come into the picture at all. The PAs are certainly required now and delimiting would prove to be disastrous, especially in the case of animals like the swamp deer and the tiger.     

Well to be honest not only the locals but many of us irrespective of the location of the domain have also contributed to extensive damage to our ecosystems. The locals have contributed their share of destruction by tilling few remaining natural lands and creating immense biotic pressure through livestock rearing in an unscientific manner. Their involvement in poaching though not on large scale cannot be negated either. This is certainly not a spirit of coexistence a favorite phrase used by the enlightened who consider local communities as still living in a stone age. The local communities have undergone a paradigm shift during this century and look forward to being a part of the mainstream.  The next gen is certainly headed for the urban surroundings as no suitable or alternative source of income exists for the erudite in the remote surroundings. 

The NGOs or some of these writers/researchers have conjectured a picture of tribal in their minds of a static, lifeless, assemblage of flesh and bones, who will remain fixed to a time long gone past and be immobile forever. The local communities are evolving too and need to assimilate the way the whole country is doing. They do not wish to remain stuck in the past living in isolation.  They do not wish to be pushed deeper into the inaccessible wild realms with no infrastructure and modern facilities.

Tribal - Neeraj Vegad

Most of those who write on this subject have no understanding of issues pertaining to conservation as a holistic model and are keen to provide a panacea through their emotional taglines. Many of those who understand this issue are bound by their own emotions which ends up restricting their perspective and miss the imperative.  They are not aware of conservation practices being pursued by the wildlife managers and they certainly do not know about the scientific approach that lies behind the involvement of local communities in and around our tiger reserves to be more precise. Just the flair for writing is not enough a writer should have an in-depth understanding of the topic before holding the pen.  

We have to understand that conservation in our country has two facets, one is the human conundrum which now includes the indigenous communities, and the second is the ecosystems and wildlife within. We are ruthless whence wilderness creeps into our urbanity but wish to share a large chunk of ecosystems belonging to other life forms. Hence the two are now separate entities and the spirit of coexistence is limited to the live and let live principle. Coexistence cannot take place by sharing the tiger reserves or National Parks with local communities. These ecosystems will remain inviolate and strictly. On the contrary, more inviolate space will have to be allocated specially for the conservation of endangered animals like the tiger, Asiatic Lion, swamp deer, and more.   

Till so-called experts do not accept the separation of the two entities mentioned above, the fate of the big cats and the tribal will remain precarious.
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Uday works as a naturalist and loves to blog on conservation.
He can be contacted at:
pateluday90@hotmail.com 

Tiger Conservation: It is Development That Counts

Environmental Overview

India is on the threshold of becoming an economically developed Nation on Earth. One among the few who rule the Earth. The sordid saga of a reckless developmental spree of those already at the helm is narrated without mentioning the large-scale damage done to the local environment and the plundering of crucial natural resources embedded in Mother Earth.

Development in terms of economy and infrastructure is the yardstick that denotes the success of ruling dispensations in India and elsewhere. In the country, the narrative is on the upswing with most of the discussion centered around growth and development.

Do we state the growth indices without keeping an eye on the amount of destruction we are causing? A highly developed India could burden the coming generations to clear the environmental debt that we leave in the wake. Should not we be concerned? 

Development is imperative but not without paying heed to environmental concerns some of which may appear trivial but could have a major negative impact in time to come.

In India, the worry lies in the large-scale destruction of our remaining natural lands and ill-conceived usage of our natural resources.

India is a signatory to the Convention of Biological Diversity a multilateral treaty for the preservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of resources, and sharing of genetic resources in a fair and equitable manner.

Another landmark that was legislated in the year nineteen seventy-two was the Wildlife Protection Act. The creation of protected areas was within the purview of this Act...and so home and protection were accorded to all life forms in the country. The 1988 Forest Policy lays a strong focus on conservation while other acts for Environment Protection were passed in the year 1986 and subsequently the Foreign Act 1992 for regulating International trade in biodiversity elements.   

The country has a number of regulatory bodies that govern actions that oversee future implications of ongoing or planned processes.  The Hon. Supreme Court of India plays an active role in environmental issues by presenting its own interpretation and hence through its directives it influences policies that contain environmental concerns. The aim of the highest courts through intervention in governance area is to redress the failures of the Government and other regulatory bodies in discharging their Constitutional and statutory obligations. There are proponents and critics as regards Hon. Supreme Court's interjection in these matters but albeit this is an entirely different matter the court's interjection is seen in a positive light by many.   

It should be noted that a large number of PILs regarding myriads of environmental issues have been filed by NGOs and individuals thus exhibiting faith in the judiciary as a whole

The Government Ministry MOEF

Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change is panned India mother of all institutions that are concerned with the environment, forests, and climate change. It is the prime body that issues statutory orders in case of environmental clearances hence is the most important element that could impact the environment and associated wilderness in multiple ways. 

It is responsible for providing clearances and impact assessment, as well it governs the National Parks of India. It oversees forest policies and programs implemented in the country. It is also a nodal agency for many International conventions and programs affecting India.  The Ministry has multifarious roles but the crux of bringing this into the picture is that it can bar or give a go-ahead to the controversial exploitation of resources through mining, exploitation, and development of remaining natural lands and related issues.

In short MOEF a ministerial body is the face of the ruling dispensation, obviously, through MOEF it can accord direction to actions concerning our environment conservation strategy.

Our Concerns & The Tiger & Human Centric Policies 

The concern that dominates the conservation circles is a quick appraisal of permission granted for mining, land acquisition for developmental projects, dissecting habitats like forests for roads, and other related projects.

This is the crux of conservation practices in India wherein policies that disregard environmental concerns can be hastened through to promote perceived developmental and infrastructure benefits. In many instances whence development projects are seen as imperative clearances are granted without a second thought. Concerns for habitats and the consecutive impact on prevailing ecosystems take a back seat.     

It required that governance should be very cautious towards activities that degrade crucial habitats and eventually are environmental hazards. These habitats support ecosystems or the complex web of life of the critically endangered species Bengal tiger as well as other life forms struggling to survive in the country. This also means the imperatives are looked into from the perspective of the highest offices in India. For developmental projects alternatives present should come into the picture.

Shortage of space for endangered species like tigers is obvious and land use patterns should be looked into. A large chunk of forest, grassland, and river habitats have been lost to reckless ventures into agriculture in earlier times. More productive agrarian practices should be developed and encouraged which utilize fewer expanses of land. This also applies to industrial practices and rapidly expanding settlements, especially in our urban areas.   

It is quite a matter of concern that an increase in the tiger population would also require an increase in inviolate protected areas if we have to preserve the animal that is a matter of our National Pride. This calls for equitable and fair translocation policies. Since certain areas will be required to clear human habitations in order to reduce man-animal conflict (elephant migration) and accord home to locally endangered species. (Similarly, the Lion should be trans-located to suitable habitats which have been developed in recent times.)

Tiger: Pic Uday Patel 

The Great Mahatma 

When Mahatma Gandhi conceived of Ram Rajya he was not being rightist or denying secular credentials as many construed.  With an emphasis on nonviolence and the cottage industry he certainly had an approach toward development that would be been highly concerned about environmental issues. That would have meant a paradigm shift from the Western Style of development we are recklessly emulating.

Perhaps he could have found answers to our woes? He was down to Earth, simple, and would not have been influenced by the vote banks of India.