Dwindling population of bison in Palamu tiger reserve is becoming a matter of deep concern for the forest officials. Top officials of the PTR said there may be a total wipe out of the endangered wildlife from Maromar, Chhipadohar and Bareysarn of the protected forest areas. Bison comes under Schedule-1 of Wildlife Protection Act.
DS Srivastava, member of the State steering committee for tiger conservation foundation, said the wipe out of bison in Bareysarn range is a sad affair and Government must wake up before it gets too late to save. Information suggests that some four dozen bisons are left in National Park of Betla and there is a great risk to their existence.
Srivastava attributed two factors behind the extinction of bison from a large area of PTR. The wild animal is poached for meat and secondly it is widespread grazing of village cattle in the core areas of PTR which ought to be the exclusive domain of bison. "But due to the invasion of village cattle bisons became homeless and starved near to death. Village cattle grazing brought with it diseases and bison must have fallen a prey to the diseases like FMD ( foot & mouth disease)," said he.
Asked that over the last ten years there is no report of discovery of any dead or killed bison, Srivastava blamed thin presence of forest guards around the reserve to intercept such things. DFO Core of the Palamu tiger reserve AK Mishra too admits that depleting habitat has led to the disappearance of bison in Bareysarn range. The DFO added further the grassland management should be such that is conducive to bison but in Bareysarn range things just went hostile for bison and they got extinct there.
Bison prefers good grass and avoids dense forest and in Bareysarn range it is there. Mishra stressed for raising an alternative grass land/habitat for bison. To a question if there can be a recovery of the population of bison Mishra said ' Determination, planning and proper funding can do this miracle'.