The habitats of the wild animals shrinking fast following increasing human habitation in the areas adjacent to the Rajaji Tiger Reserve, the beasts are being forced to steal their ways into the areas inhabited by the humans in search of food and water, resulting in the spike in the animal-human conflicts.
While herds of elephants are devastating sugarcane and rice fields the leopards are prowling around, preying on the domesticated cattle and livestock of the villagers. The ongoing expansion work on National Highway, rail tracks cutting through the forest areas, high- tension electricity wires hanging here and there and explosion of the human population living in the vicinity of the forest are some of the factors that are accentuating such conflicts, opine the senior officers of RTR.
The snail’s pace with which the construction work of Dehradun- Haridwar National Highway is going on has made the wild animals much vulnerable to being run over or poached. Besides, the 18 km railway tracks which cuts through the forest area are posing the gravest challenge to the wild animals, particularly the elephants, with the trains mowing them down at regular intervals. Many a time in the past, RTR officials of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve have taken up the matter with the railway authorities, asking the latter to ensure slowing of the trains’ speed during their course through the forest areas. Speaking to The Pioneer, director of Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve Sanatan Sonkar said, “Many letters have been issued in the past to the higher railway officials. Many proposals have also been sent to them to save the elephants and other animals, but to no avail.” Notably, the 18 km stretch of the forest having rail tracks is frequently crossed by the elephants at multiple places. On an average nearly 40 trains cross the forest area.
For the past seven years, the work of widening National Highway -58 is underway. Two corridors for elephants have been proposed at Motichoor-Raiwala and Motichoor-Teenpani area along the Haridwar- Dehradun National Highway. But the construction of flyovers is far from complete, something that endangers the elephants moving from east to west and north to south. “The work must be completed at the earliest. Otherwise, the threatened animals might turn dangerously aggressive,” warned a wild life expert Bivash Pandav associated with the Wildlife Institute of India.
Van Gujjars are another threat to the wildlife of the Park. Thirteen families of Van Gujjars in Gohari range are yet to be relocated as was planned by the park authorities. Meanwhile, the number of the clan is increasing rapidly with the figure surging close to one thousand.
Known for the abundance of Asiatic elephants, Rajaji National Park has presently nearly 319 elephants. Since the Park was established in 1983, 31 elephants have been reportedly killed in rail accidents. Besides elephants, the park has a number of tigers, leopards, wild boars and several species of migratory birds.