They say “every dark cloud has a silver lining”. The last four weeks in the ‘City Beautiful’ has marked an unusual activity with wild animals venturing out into human habitations in broad daylight.
However, no incident of animal fatality or a man-animal conflict has been reported in Chandigarh.
With deserted roads and the near-silent ambience all around due to imposition of curfew in the city amid Coronavirus pandemic, the wild animals are becoming bolder, straying outside forests areas and going back without creating any conflict.
The curfew was imposed in the city on March 24 to ensure social distancing and stem the spread of coronavirus.
The Union Territory of Chandigarh, which is a joint capital of two neighboring States of Punjab and Haryana and also, shares borders with them, has a protected area—Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, spreading over an area of 26 sq km of forest land spanning the plains at the foothills of Shivalik range. Among other forest areas in the city include Lake Reserve Forests and Patiala-Ki-Rao Forests.
Most recently, a leopard had strayed into a posh residential area in the city from Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. The feline was captured and released back into the wild, with a relief that there was no untoward incident involving humans.
A day later, another leopard was spotted in a southern sector and is stated to have moved towards nearby Mohali district of Punjab.
Not only this, many astonishing videos of wild animals frolicking through empty roads in the city have surfaced in the past four weeks.
A herd of Sambars running on deserted city streets was never a common sight but with the residents locked inside due to curfew, mandate quarantines and social distancing, the animals have now got a bit more room to wander through the roads in Chandigarh, which boost of lush green trees on both sides.
In another video, a herd of Spotted Deers was seen walking freely on a road here. Peacocks with their features out, strolling the city streets is another common wonderful sight for the residents now.
Abdul Qayum, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Chandigarh while talking to The Pioneer says, “With curfew in the city keeping residents behind closed doors, the wild animals appear to have gotten a free reign on the otherwise busy roads of the bustling city. Interestingly, there has not been any complaint on UT Department’s widely publicized man-animal conflict helpline during curfew period.”
“We are spotting herds of Sambars, Spotted Deers, strolling on city roads since the curfew period began. But just two complaints related to a snake sighting and a bat dying due to electrocution was received, that too, a long time back, he adds.
Elaborating on the leopard sightings, Abdul says, “On March 30, a leopard that had strayed into a plush residential area was captured and later, released in the forest area. The next day, another complaint related to hearing of leopard growling and sighting was received from southern sectors but the leopard could not be trapped and seems to have moved towards Mohali area. After that no complaint has been received on our helpline.”
Earlier, the average number of calls received and responded to on the man-animal conflict helpline were three to six on a daily basis.
Sample this. 127 complaints were received on the helpline in April last year, 104 in March, 111 in February, 105 in January. During 2018, the number and trend of complaints remained almost similar with 137 complaints registered in January 2018, 99 in February, 126 in March, 141 in April, 129 in May, 136 in June, 181 in July, 159 in August, 160 in September, 168 in October, 128 in November and 108 in December.
The statistics shows complaints received were related to Sambars, Nilgai and Monkeys venturing into human habitations and also related to Snakes, Bats, Owls, Eagles, Peacocks, Pigeons among other species.
The wildlife experts say, while there is enough food in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary here, the animals often venture close to human habitations due to the absence of fencing at some places to restrict their movement to the forests areas.
Before curfew, the mere presence of wild animals near human habitations was reported as conflict.
In November 2018, the shocking pictures of a Sambar, lying in a pool of blood and crying for help after being hit by a vehicle at Sector 3/4/9/10 roundabout in November 2018 had brought alive the debate on the issue of human-animal conflict in the city.
Sadly, more than 40 wild animals were killed on the city roads in the past one year. And, the fatalities included Nilgai, Sambars, Peacocks, Porcupines among other animals.
Nonetheless, the coronavirus pandemic has now altered the urban life with the secluded roads and eerie stillness of public spaces resulting in emboldened wildlife, appearing to reclaim their lost territory. Perhaps, one might now seek silver linings in the narrative of nature healing itself and wildlife having a gala time.
Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, a home to Sambars and other deer species According to the data with the UT Forests and Wildlife Department, there are 9 species of mammals and 63 species of birds in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sambars in the Sanctuary were estimated between 1000 to 1200 while peafowl were between 900-100 in a census exercise, conducted nearly a decade back.
Spotted Dear (Chittal), Pangolin (ant eater), Wild Boar, Jackal, Small Indian Civet, Jungle Cat, Porcupine, Langur, Rhesus Money, Indian Hare, Common Mongoose among other mammals are also the inhabitants of the Sanctuary.
Leopards are a frequent visitor to the Sanctuary from forest areas of neighboring Haryana.
The varieties of reptiles including Snakes like Cobra, Rat Snake, Common Krait, Russell’s Viper, Indian Python and Common Monitor (Gho), Freshwater Turtle also inhibits the Sanctuary.