The rise in the tiger population of India despite politicians and their motives has elicited the expected positive responses from the Government and wildlife lovers. However, a comparatively less publicised opinion on the dangers of focus on tigers at the cost of other wild animals cannot be ignored for long if the interests of wildlife and humans are to be taken care of effectively. Vast amounts of funds are expended by the Government and the private sector, campaigns are organised by organisations and media houses to supposedly save the tiger while ignoring the fact that even though the majestic apex predator is indispensable to a healthy environment, the tiger cannot thrive alone without a protected habitat and healthy population of wild animals, including other predators.
Take for example the leopard, more than 2,000 of which are believed to inhabit the State of Uttarakhand. Though incidents of human-tiger conflict occur in different parts of India from time to time, such cases are still fewer compared to the incidents of human-leopard conflict which have been on the rise for some years now, especially in Uttarakhand. Apart from dwindling prey base, one of the reasons for the rising human-leopard conflict is that while the tiger prefers forest habitat largely undisturbed by humans, the leopard is able to thrive even in the proximity of human settlements.
Expanding human population, a total absence of sensibly planned housing for this expanding population and authorities abetting settlements in areas where the wild once thrived continue to fuel this conflict. Even in the case of tigers, the politicians have not only ignored but to some extent even facilitated the movement of members of the Van Gujjar community and others in protected areas where the movements of humans should be restricted for the welfare of both the humans and the wildlife. Since people account for votes and financial gains to politicians and some organisations, they are allowed to intrude and even flout regulations in the Corbett tiger landscape and other protected forest areas in Uttarakhand.
Some activists fear that the cause of protecting the tiger has been hijacked to some extent by the focus on marketing an image rather than seriously protecting wildlife and environment. Had we been serious about wildlife conservation and had the political executive been endowed with the will to act genuinely, the human-leopard conflict would not be allowed to escalate. But escalating it is, and one need not go far from the State capital to ascertain the reasons for this. On Friday, a leopardess believed to have been the man-eater that killed and partially consumed a 10-year-old boy on the outskirts of Dehradun was killed by authorised hunters. The unfortunate boy was the child of a labourer from Uttar Pradesh who had been living in a shanty near the woods.
Even forest officials acknowledge that till a few decades ago, most of what is Dehradun town now was leopard habitat while the outskirts still house leopards. Areas where the leopard could hunt its natural prey are now dotted with human settlements which along with poaching have also resulted in the decimation of the big cat’s natural prey. In areas where the habitat and prey base of the leopard has not been damaged, leopards continue to thrive and even move regularly through human settlements without coming into serious conflict with people.
However, such areas will not remain unchanged for long if the Government continues to ignore the importance and plight of the leopard. Is the leopard being ignored because it is considered less ‘magnificent’ than the tiger, doesn’t form the basis of the tourism business or elicits no endorsement by celebrities and influential donorsIJ While Uttarakhand remains a hub of smuggling of leopard pelts, bones and body parts, official apathy is fueling public ignorance and turning this spotted cat into a villain in the eyes of a people who once thrived without much conflict with the leopard. In addition to resolving the problem of depleted prey base, preventing encroachment on its habitat abetted by politicians and protection, the leopard also needs a proper rescue centre cum safari park to house problem leopards. Revenue should be generated for their upkeep and at the same time, public awareness must be raised to ensure their survival.
In most cases, human intrusion creates man-eaters and rogues. Even the internationally publicised man-eater of Rudraprayag killed by Jim Corbett became a man-eater probably after scavenging on bodies of influenza victims dumped in the river. Though leopards outnumber tigers in Uttarakhand, their population will not thrive for long until we realise that in an ecology wherein even minute insects play a vital role, the interests of humans are also linked with the interests of leopards. The striped cat is magnificent and irreplaceable but then so is the spotted cat.