A leopard enters the Ghaziabad court and injures many people, including lawyers
A leopard in a court? This might have generated mirth and maybe some viral memes at the expense of lawyers had it not been the injuries several people suffered at the Ghaziabad court on Wednesday evening. The leopard suddenly appeared on the first floor of the court, triggering chaos and confusion. A few lawyers, a cop, and a cobbler were reportedly wounded by the leopard which attacked anyone it thought as a threat. Thankfully, though, no fatality or critical injuries have been reported. The episode also ended without harm to the beast which was tranquilised and handed over to the forest officials. This is not the first such incident; wild animals entering buildings, residential areas, factories, etc., are regularly reported in almost all parts of the country. So far, the authorities at various levels have been reactive rather than proactive in their approach towards incursions by the animals like leopards, panthers, and snakes. One need not be an environmental scientist to know the reason which is simple: human settlements are being built everywhere, even in forests and open spaces. Concomitantly, the habitats of jungle animals are shrinking; quite apart from pushing many species to the brink of extinction, these developments are forcing animals to intrude into the places where people live. This leads to man-animal confrontations. For instance, herds of elephants often rampage through farms.
It is not that the government and people are insouciant towards the imperatives of a clean environment and wildlife. Some concerted efforts have been made in the past — and are still being made — to protect forests, wildlife, and biodiversity, a shining example of which is Project Tiger. This year the results of the 2022 tiger census are likely to be released; the number of tigers is estimated to be more than 3,000. The rise is continuous, for there were 2,967 tigers in 2018 and 2,226 in 2014, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Launched in 1973, Project Tiger has evidently been going from strength to strength. Other conservation measures are perhaps helping the growth of wildlife. But more tigers and other wild animals need more forests, which are decreasing in size. Therefore, more efforts are needed to not just minimise the man-animal conflicts but evolve a modus vivendi which lets them coexist without harm to either. Ecotourism and adventure tourism could play a big role in resolving the conflicts. It is heartening to note that the Government, congnisant of the role of ecotourism, is striving to promote it. In April 2022, the Ministry of Tourism unveiled the National Strategy for Ecotourism. Accepting that ecotourism is globally recognised as a powerful tool for the conservation of forests, biodiversity, wildlife, and scenic landscapes, it favoured the creation of sustainable alternative livelihoods for forest dependent communities and by generating conservation awareness among masses and decision makers. It is time such endeavours are taken up in earnest.
