Ferocious Man Eater of Corbett Shot Dead in 2016 – It pains me to write this note. A man eater Tigress of Corbett who apparently killed two men in Ramnagar near Corbett National Park was finally tracked and shot by the forest department. Why shot? Was there no other alternative? Let me try and give both sides thought process to you, and you decide if it is right or wrong to have shot a man eater Tigress of Corbett.
The Debate over man eaters
There is a debate raging across the social media on this. Some feel that it is right that she is shot. These are people who are from the village of those killed. They live in constant fear especially when they know that a man-eater tiger is on the prowl. So it is a huge relief for them after 44 days of search that the Tigress is no more. It is not an easy task for the Forest department to convince the local community when something like this happens. More so, if it is in a densely populated area.
What would happen if the forest department decides not to shoot the man eater? The villagers could perhaps burn part of the forest, go on some kind of civil disobedience which can create law and order problem. So the forest department is forced to take action to let go of one Tiger to protect the larger picture.
Also, there are people who feel it was wrong to shoot the man eater Tigress. These are the people who are wildlife lovers. They love their Tigers and want them do be protected in the wild at any cost. After all, it is humans who have encroached on their land and due to this, the Tigers tend to do what they are not meant to do.
How to avoid the situation of shooting a man eater?
Was it possible to avoid this situation of shooting a man eater? Yes, definitely, it was possible. I have always spoken earlier as well, that we need to use technology in monitoring Tigers. Our parks are not fenced, and there is plenty of population around every national park. So, if we use the Drones, or perhaps a mini satellite for each national park, and monitor the straying Tigers such situations could be best avoided. A bigger question now comes in mind, is the forest department equipped with such equipment? Not yet. But it is in the process of implementation. It is said that by December 2016 6 national parks will be monitored by Drones.
So what to do after the man eater Tiger has been found to stray out of the park? I am not from the forest department, but I am sure they have a protocol for this. Things like informing the villagers nearby about the stayed man eater Tiger. Increase patrolling in the area. If the Tiger is old or hurt, then chances are that he will pick on cattle for food. But if it is a young Tiger then there must be a reason for it to stray. Was it lack of habitat? Being pushed out in a territorial battle by another upcoming Tiger, lack of prey, lack of water, or something else. For a young Tiger, it becomes very important to monitor regularly round the clock. Does the forest department have so much of manpower? Not sure, in fact unlikely.
Once the strayed Tiger has been identified, located, and reason found on what could be the reason for straying, it is best to rehabilitate him. Either back into the same forest, or perhaps in another range of the forest, or in some other forest of the state.
In this case, I think there was an option of sending her to another forest nearby. Corbett is a part of Terai Arc Landscape, and the total area of the Terai belt is around 30000 sq km. This area is sparsely populated as far as Tigers are concerned. Hence relocating this Tigress was an option that could have been considered.
Why is it that a state like Madhya Pradesh is so proactive in taking such decisions
Not once, twice, but many a time Madhya Pradesh forest department has successfully relocated Tigers. In one of the most recent cases, a Tigress was relocated from Bandhavgarh to Sanjay Dubri National Park. A few years back Tigers from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench were sent to Panna (totally devoid of Tigers due to poaching), to rehabilitate Panna. Today there are close to 34 Tigers in Panna. I do not remember last when was it that a man-eater Tigress was shot in Madhya Pradesh.
A very heartwarming translocation happened of an orphaned Tigress from Bandhavgarh to Satpura. In 2010 a Tigress died in Bandhavgarh leaving behind her very young cubs. Forest department took it upon themselves to put these cubs in enlarged enclosures. They very discreetly introduced some small prey initially, and when the orphaned cub was about 3 years old, she was shifted to Satpura National Park. It is a known fact that in Satpura the Tiger density is fairly low. So they introduced her in the Churna range of Satpura. Today this Tigress has a litter of 3 cubs and is often seen by the tourists. Isn’t this a simply amazing thing.
It is about time we treat Tigers as our national heritage, a natural treasure in practical reality and not only in books.
I hope we don’t have to hear more such cases in future.
Best Wishes
– Sharad Vats
