Festive season brings hard time for wildlife in the Palamau Tiger Reserve as officials go into festive mood leaving poor wildlife to fend for themselves.
Festivals like Dussehra, diwali,holi are the ones when patrolling of the tiger reserve gets weakened and chances of poacing get higher. Sources said that the Tiger Reserve Strike Force comprising ex servicemen is yet to come into functioning. A 25 Km walk test has been done for 28 participants out of which only 19 could complete the 25 Km walk in four hours time said the DFO core of this tiger reserve Premjit Anand.
The Strike Force is a kind of anti poaching of wildlife and anti felling of precious and high value trees . The ranger of the Betla National Park which comes under tiger reserve N Singh however said that patrolling is on 24x7 but when asked that in festival times it will be difficult to have this 24x7 as personnel go on leave.’
The ranger claimed there has been no poaching of deer this year 2013 a claim to be taken with a pinch of salt as reports of deer meat on sale come at regular interval from parts close to old fort called Palamu Quila near Satbarwa.
The ranger said one deer was poached in the year 2012. The poacher was arrested.
Villagers living in the contiguity of the tiger reserve go for feast on the tenth day of Durga Puja and deer meat is a favourite dish then.There is no bite of conscience when a wildlife like deer is poached then for feast said sources. There are reports of even bison getting killed for meat for feast!
The field director of the Palamu Tiger Reserve S E H Kazmi said he would ensure the monitoring of the safety and security of wildlife by all possible means and manners in such a festive time.