The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been repeatedly telling the States to take various measures for rescuing wild animals in distress or those causing distress.
However, inspite of there being a human-leopard conflict problem in various parts of the State, the Uttarakhand Forest Department has yet to take effective measures for handling conflict situations involving leopards in a manner that prevent harm to either the big cat or humans.
The NTCA had constituted an inquiry into leopard deaths at Haldwani forest division and the transit rescue centre at Chidiapur, Haridwar forest division in February and May this year respectively.
A leopard had died in the Haldwani forest division trapped in a snare awaiting rescue while another leopard brought from Pauri to Chidiapur rescue centre died from injuries sustained from hitting its head repeatedly against the cage bars after being kept caged for a long period.
In a letter to the Uttarakhand principal secretary, Forests, the NTCA member secretary Dr Rajesh Gopal stated that the authority had been addressing the States to orient and build up the capacity of field staff, while deploying a few rapid response teams- fully equipped with veterinary facility, to rescue wild animals in distress or those causing distress.
Citing the inquiry report, Gopal stated that it was evident that in the leopard mortality cases under reference, the field staff neither had the capacity nor were equipped to handle the situation professionally, which could have saved the leopards from death. Noting the apparent total lack of coordination at the local level, he stressed on the need for equipping the department to professionally handle such issues in future.
The inquiry report recommended capacity building of staff with field demonstration of techniques required to deal with the human-leopard conflict, taking support from officials well experienced in the rield, officials of Corbett tiger reserve and competent NGOs.
The fundamentals of veterinary care also need to be provided to forest staff to deal with wild animals in distress in addition to training of local vets and competent forest personnel in handling tranquilising equipment and wild animals.
The report also recommended formation of a rapid response team, public outreach programmes, provision of regular and adequate budgetary support towards mitigation of human-wildlife conflict and thorough grounding in the standard operating procedure to deal with emergencies arising due to straying of big cats in human dominated landscapes. Various other measures were also recommended in the report, similar to guidelines and directions issued in the past.