Thirsty animals fall prey to poachers

Poaching incidents and forest animals coming out of the forests in search of drinking water are being reported these days as summer is fast approaching in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

Poachers are targeting the forest animals entering into the fringes of the villages in search of water. 

Drinking water sources in the forests are gradually drying up and this resulted in forest animals coming out of the forests in search of drinking water.       

It is common practice for the poachers that they set up live electric wires and also nets near water bodies targeting the animals which were landed up in the traps or were electrocuted or killed by poachers.  

‘Forest officials arrested three persons who killed Sambar in the Dharmaraopet forests in Kasipet mandal on January15. Villagers of the Dharmaraopet chased the Sambar which came out of the nearby forests in search of drinking water and was killed.        

On the other hand, a Bison came out of forests and entered into the agriculture fields in Tandur mandal headquarters two days ago. The villagers informed the forest officials who successfully drove the animal into the forests close to Dwaraka Kasipet.

The lifting of sand from the rivulets and streams located in the forests is also contributing to dipping of the capacity of water recharge of streams and rivulets. 

Cops, Maoists face threat from poachers

Police and Maoists who are playing hide and seek game in the forests for the last one year are facing life threat from unexpected quarters: poachers who put up live electric wires targeting the forest animals, and farmers who put up electric fences to protect their crops in the Adilabad district.

As many as 7 persons, some cattle and forest animals electrocuted at various places in this year when they came into contact with live electric wires put up targeting forest animals or to protect standing crops from the animals by farmers or poachers.

Police and Maoists are facing threat of coming into contact with live electric wires when they move in the forests.

It is learnt that police is taking all precautionary measures while combing in the forests and on the fringes of villages and avoiding combining in the night time.     

Police took the serious note of the poachers putting up live electric wires after they faced difficulties during the combing operations. Police warned the poachers of stern action if they were found setting up live electric wires.

Superintendent of police Dr Tarun Joshi appealed to farmers to adopt methods to protect their crops which will not cause any harm to people and warned of filing cases against the farmers and poachers who put up live electric wires.

‘Farmers will go to their agriculture fields even at night to water their standing crops and the farmers and cattle may face the danger from live electric wires, SP said and adding that setting up live elective wires to protect standing crops was against the law’.

Police intensified combing operations in the forests to flush out the Maoists following their increased movement in the forests and on the fringes of interior villages in the district.

Adivasis are still using indigenous methods

Adivasis use several indigenous methods to chase away birds and forest animals which eat and destroy pulses-redgram, greengram, ground nut and grains such as jowar and maize standing crops in the Adilabad district of Telangana.      

They devise instruments from scarp an material available at hand to create sounds  that scare the birds and forest animals instead killing them especially wild boar and deer.    

For example, they hang two steel plates side by side to tree on a tree branch in the fields, the contract creating an off- putting sound. They also create sound by hanging beer bottle and a small iron rod to a tree branch. Adivasis also beat small, empty iron drums and use slings to throw stones.

Some of these methods have been in use since time immemorial, like hanging damaged white plastic bags that of once held rice or urea to convey the impression of there being a human presence.

A scarecrow is a common enough ploy, but they also torch waste wood. They also keep the birds at bay, using a sling from the manche or shed placed in the middle of the  an agriculture field.  

These methods are being used to protect their standing crops from the birds and forest animals from time immemorial and this traditional knowledge passed on to the new generations from their ancestors.

Kursinge Nagorao of Chapral village in Utnoor mandal said even today they depended on traditional knowledge systems that had been transmitted down the generations and had successfully protected their pulses and grains from the depredation by animals and birds.

‘Saving the standing crops in this way is a must for the Adivasis as their fields  are located in or near the forests’, he  said. 

Dry tanks add to heat in Telangana

Forest animals are struggling to quench their thirst as streams and rivulets have dried up and water has evaporated from all the water bodies due to soaring temperatures in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

The forest staff has failed to create additional drinking water sources for them. Forest animals especially herbivores are straying into villages in search of water and fall prey to poachers even in Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) during the summer.

Some of the solar pump sets set up in the identified places to provide drinking water to the forest animals were defunct as water motors are not functioning and unidentified persons had stolen the water pipelines in the core area of the Kawal Tiger Reserve.

A field level worker said, the saucer wells meant for the forest animals received water for a brief spell but the water has evaporated within no time due to high temperatures. 

However, there was some greenery in the forest due to unexpected rains that struck the district recently and this is helpful for the herbivores.

Forest officials have to fill the saucer wells with water to quench the thirst of the forest animals on a regular basis but there has been no activity there..

Forest animals have no opportunity to cool their body with the water in the summer due to dry streams and rivulets in the forests. The deep trenches with fencing separating the reserve forest and villages at some points to restrict the entry of the vehicles and people into forests and wood smuggling has proved costly  to the forest animals as they cannot cross the trenches for water.

                                                                                                         ( May 28, 2015)