Groups of poachers are reported to be exploiting the forest fires in Uttarakhand to trap wildlife. Questioning how come the forest department has not yet reported any wildlife fatality in the conflagration, wildlife activists have demanded that the State’s Animal Husbandry department should also be activated in the efforts to handle fauna injured in the forest fires.
In a letter to the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh, People For Animals, Uttarakhand member secretary Gauri Maulekhi states, “Seven human lives have been claimed by the forest fires which has now been declared a calamity. Strangely, not a single wildlife casualty has been declared by the Forest Department. No measures have been taken to rescue any young ones that may have been left behind by migrating animals or birds; no artificial reservoirs have been created to address the need for water for animals that have been forced to migrate; no temporary shelters have been created to take in injured animals or their abandoned calves or chicks. There is simply no transparency in what is being done with dead bodies. Not a single dead wild animal has turned up in any report of the forest department so far. This only raises more suspicions.
While NDRF and Indian army have been asked for help, the Animal Husbandry Department of Uttarakhand has not been activated. I have also been informed that numerous groups of poachers are using this calamity to their advantage by trapping the migrating animals. Sadly, there are also reports of forest staff misusing the burnt bodies of wild animals,” she States.
Seeking concerted and urgent action, the letter also lists measures demanded like recharging of all water holes in forest areas, issuance of orders to report all deaths and post mortems and Animal Husbandry department channelising its mobile units in affected regions to address the need for rescue and treatment along with creation of temporary shelters in each division to house injured or abandoned young animals.
Referring to poachers exploiting the situation and wildlife calamity she states, “There is no excuse for the Forest Department to have completely ignored this critical aspect for all this while. The chief wildlife warden must be asked to show cause why not a single wildlife death has been reported so far and what has been done with the dead animals. The Wildlife Institute of India should also be asked to make a comprehensive plan to deal with this situation, keeping in mind the wildlife demographics.”