The expert committee set up to prepare action plan on the translocation of lions from Gir to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh has in its report expressed concern over the prevailing gun culture, anti-social activities and poaching that is rampant around Kuno.
The report called Action plan for the reintroduction of Asiatic lions in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary Madhya Pradesh has been prepared by the wildlife experts Ravi Chellam and
Dr YV Jhala. It recommends that the gun culture in the region needs to be dealt with appropriately without disturbing local socio-economic customs.
According to the report, “A large majority of the people in the area own weapon mostly licensed guns.” Raising concerns over poaching incidents, the experts said that Kuno has people who, on an average, eat meat once a week or once a month. A large number of residents eat meat daily.
People in the area own guns, bows and arrows and catapults and thus easily kill animals for bush meat. “If the natural prey base for the lions is to be enhanced, poaching activities will have to be controlled,” states the report.
The report says that 40 per cent of the revenue generated from the lion reintroduction project should percolate to local marginalised communities if anti-social activities are to be reduced and gun culture restricted. “This will substantially prevent them from joining in anti-social activities. Deliberations should be made to dissuade the local gangs of dacoits and poachers and rehabilitate them in the mainstream of society,” the report suggests.
According to the experts drafting the report, there are chances of people getting severely injured or killed during the initial years of reintroduction of the lion as the local community in Kuno does not have any memorable experience of living with either lions or tigers.
“Gir lions attack and maul humans in accidental interfaces. An ex gratia compensation scheme has to be introduced and revised regularly so as to circumvent hostility among local communities,” the report says. It goes on to suggest that victims of a lion attack or their kin have to be provided employment with the forest department.
It also recommends that a proper rehabilitation plan for awarding market-based compensation against the death of livestock and destruction of crop have to be designed.