Debasis Bose
10-04-2016, 09:45 PM
Seema Sharma | TNN | Apr 9, 2016, 08.08 PM IST
DEHRADUN: One after another, tigers in have killed three forest employees in a span of three months. The third was killed in wee hours on Saturday. The experts are blaming it on uncontrolled tourism in the Corbett for the aggression in the tigers.
According to sources, Hari Ram, patrolling guard, had left for his duCorbett Tiger Reservety at six in the morning alongwith his associate towards Khinanauli post in Corbett. He was doing foot patrolling by holding cane in his hand when tiger came out of bushes and dragged him away. His counterpart shouted but tiger did not leave him. By the time, he came back with other employees, victim had breathed his last. His body was found at some distance.
On March 22, another patrolling staff was also attacked and killed near Sadle dam in Corbett in the early afternoon. Viren Pandey, president of Corbett Employees Association said, "In the month of February itself , a daily wager employee was also killed by tiger in the Kalagarh division of the Corbett. This way one employee has been killed by tigers in each month for last three months. Four women from nearby villagers too have been badly injured in this duration also. The tiger aggression is quite startling which has triggered fear among the patrolling staff. We will have to seek out ways by holding meeting with officials to ensure less risk and more protection for the patrolling staff from the tiger attacks."
However the wildlife experts are alluding toward excessive tourist pressure on the tigers to be one of the reasons for instilling stress and irritation in them. The Corbett authority receives around two lakh visitors and earns revenue around seven crore annually from tourism. Vinod Rishi, former additional director general of ministry of environment and forests (Wildlife) told TOI, "The months from March to April are when tigers indulge in mating and breeding and, they become short tempered. The presence of tourists around the tigers is another irritant. So those who are on foot become more vulnerable for fatal attacks. The officials must take help of modern technology to monitor the area where tourists are assembling more at a particular spot."
Anil Dutt, former principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) was of the opinion that over-exposure of human would instinctively induce stress and irritation in tigers. He gave example of a video which has gone viral over Facebook where a tiger in Bijrani zone looks frightened and unable to cross his way which has been blocked from all sides by the cavalcade of gypsies full of tourists who are seen making noise and taking video and clip of beleaguered animal.
DEHRADUN: One after another, tigers in have killed three forest employees in a span of three months. The third was killed in wee hours on Saturday. The experts are blaming it on uncontrolled tourism in the Corbett for the aggression in the tigers.
According to sources, Hari Ram, patrolling guard, had left for his duCorbett Tiger Reservety at six in the morning alongwith his associate towards Khinanauli post in Corbett. He was doing foot patrolling by holding cane in his hand when tiger came out of bushes and dragged him away. His counterpart shouted but tiger did not leave him. By the time, he came back with other employees, victim had breathed his last. His body was found at some distance.
On March 22, another patrolling staff was also attacked and killed near Sadle dam in Corbett in the early afternoon. Viren Pandey, president of Corbett Employees Association said, "In the month of February itself , a daily wager employee was also killed by tiger in the Kalagarh division of the Corbett. This way one employee has been killed by tigers in each month for last three months. Four women from nearby villagers too have been badly injured in this duration also. The tiger aggression is quite startling which has triggered fear among the patrolling staff. We will have to seek out ways by holding meeting with officials to ensure less risk and more protection for the patrolling staff from the tiger attacks."
However the wildlife experts are alluding toward excessive tourist pressure on the tigers to be one of the reasons for instilling stress and irritation in them. The Corbett authority receives around two lakh visitors and earns revenue around seven crore annually from tourism. Vinod Rishi, former additional director general of ministry of environment and forests (Wildlife) told TOI, "The months from March to April are when tigers indulge in mating and breeding and, they become short tempered. The presence of tourists around the tigers is another irritant. So those who are on foot become more vulnerable for fatal attacks. The officials must take help of modern technology to monitor the area where tourists are assembling more at a particular spot."
Anil Dutt, former principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) was of the opinion that over-exposure of human would instinctively induce stress and irritation in tigers. He gave example of a video which has gone viral over Facebook where a tiger in Bijrani zone looks frightened and unable to cross his way which has been blocked from all sides by the cavalcade of gypsies full of tourists who are seen making noise and taking video and clip of beleaguered animal.