(IN): Cry for urban wildlife strategy

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Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071207/asp/guwahati/story_8637672.asp

 

Cry for urban wildlife strategy

- 3-tier method to curb man-animal conflict A STAFF REPORTER

 

*Dec. 6:* Wildlife experts stepped up the clamour for a separate wildlife

strategy after a runaway leopard was caught earlier this week and a carcass

of a cub surfaced in Santipur today.

 

" The situation in the city is entirely different as one has to run to places

where an animal has entered a dense habitation and people are getting

restive and furious, " a wildlife official said.

 

In this scenario, deft handling is required as one wrong step can lead to a

calamity. Moreover, one has to ensure that there is no casualty on either

side, he added.

 

The need is felt even more in Guwahati, which is a wildlife hotspot with 11

reserve forests.

 

However, according to wildlife officials, as urban development encroaches

upon the animal habitat, it leads to greater man-animal conflict.

 

They said a humane approach should be adopted to resolve this discord and

stressed three general principles — respect for environment, tolerance and

understanding of living things and a willingness to resolve conflicts using

non-lethal means.

 

In order to implement these principals, they said, one must know the

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of urban wildlife.

 

" No work has been carried out on this important facet which is why we have

not been able to chalk out any strategy as done in other places, " the

official said.

 

He suggested that experts should be consulted and studies undertaken on

dealing with urban wildlife conflict situations. There would be no dearth of

agencies to fund such studies, he added.

 

Experts said any action taken should resolve the problem and not merely

addresses the symptoms.

 

Wildlife managers should be able to ascertain on their own whether a step

taken to resolve the conflict addresses the underlying cause of the problem

and would be effective over the long term, they added.

 

A source said there is a Guwahati Wildlife Division to deal with such

situations, but it has not done much by way of holding deliberations or

chalking out strategies.

 

He suggested that the wildlife department should put up hoardings in areas

where incidents of man-animal conflict are on the rise and give the people a

guideline on the do's and don'ts of the situation.

 

A positive feature that has emerged in the last few years is that people

have become much more aware and immediately report to the authorities when

an animal strays into the city.

 

 

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