There is a need to create awareness amongst the people and sensitise them about the habit, movement and activities of the leopards so that humans could develop an approach to live with them harmoniously, said Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Wednesday.
Virbhadra, while addressing a workshop on ‘living with leopards’ here, said: “Over centuries we are living with wild cats in close proximity and certain incidents of conflicts between both is a natural phenomenon. They sometimes become inevitable too. This may lead to loss of wild life or vice-versa.
He said that there was a need to conduct mass awareness and to carry out sensitisation programmes all over the State on issues of man-animal conflicts.
During the workshop, it was informed that the Wildlife Department had come up with a plan of peaceful co-existence of man and animals. In Himachal, the process of leopard mapping conflicts was nearing completion and it was through ‘trap cameras’ that 11 leopards were sighted.
Also, there has been decline in leopard’s attacks on humans barring few pockets in Shimla, Mandi and Hamirpur districts where 219 cases of mauling were reported in last seven years and in all, as many as 306 odd cases of leopard attacks were reported in the state during last ten years.
The Chief Minster said that even in Shimla, leopards do live in close proximity with human beings without causing any harm and sometimes venture out in the town. There is a need to strengthen our ancient cultural understanding of co-existence for all, he added.
He said that our Government had encouraged landscape level conservation planning for Snow leopard and its species in a manner that was conducive for its populace fostering their livelihood.
“The government would spare no effort and resources to see forests grow and survive and wild life species protected” said the Chief Minister, adding that the forest department has done a commendable job in captive breeding of the endangered species may it be Western Tragopan, Cheer Pheasant, Snow leopard, Himalayan Monal etc.
He said that Himachal was endowed with rich forest wealth and unique repository of bio-diversity, both faunal and floral. There was a time when 95 thousand fir trees were axed annually for making apple boxes for packaging and marketing. The government took a stringent stand and completely banned the use of wooden cartons to get it replaced by corrugated boxes to save the forest wealth, added Virbhadra.
He said that today, the forests wealth has regenerated many fold and we have achieved considerable success in our endeavour.
The Chief Minister also stressed upon dove-tailing all wild life activities with the livelihood and economical well being of the citizens of the State.
To conduct census of major wild life species is important wherein human conflict is involved with them and the task should be carried out expeditiously in time bound manner, directed the Chief Minister.
He also asked the department to make an assessment of carrying capacity of the state to nurture wild life.
“Our wild life policies aim to enable effective co-existence of people and wildlife so that both can prosper. Though this is a herculean task, through careful planning and execution with stakeholders and partners, the objective could be achieved, added the Chief Minister.