Recently, 16 Goa government employees were caught allegedly hunting in Salgini, Netravali, which is a wildlife corridor in the Western Ghats teeming with wild animals and a critical passage for them to move between habitats.
The government employees were found with live cartridges but on being questioned denied they were on a hunting trip. It was a picnic, they said, but this story of theirs has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Just bringing live cartridges to a picnic raises serious questions about their true intentions.
The picnic claim is hollow because no one chooses a wildlife corridor for a picnic, given that one is aware of the dangers of encountering wild animals in such a spot.
Also, small animals are not hunted with rifles in which cartridges are used. Hunting small animals typically involves shotguns with shells, not rifles with cartridges.
These individuals, who hold positions of public trust, have set a bad example and have undermined wildlife protection efforts.
These individuals, who hold positions of public trust, have set a bad example and have undermined wildlife protection efforts. They owe an explanation as to why they were carrying live cartridges.
They owe an explanation as to why they were carrying live cartridges. They deserve to be penalised so as to send a strong message that such behaviour from government servants will not be tolerated.
This incident is also a serious breach of environmental regulations and at the same time an opportunity to raise public awareness about the importance of wildlife corridors and the dangers of hunting or poaching.
The ability of these employees to enter a wildlife corridor with live cartridges is indeed a cause for concern and raises several questions about the security protocols in the area. They were caught, no doubt, but how did they enter?
The Wildlife Protection Board has to set in place stricter security measures like improved checkpoints, surveillance cameras and increased patrolling in all the wildlife areas of Goa.
Though hunting can be utilised to manage populations of animals that have become overabundant and threaten ecosystems or human safety, illegal hunting can disrupt the delicate balance of forest ecosystems.
The Wildlife Protection Board has to set in place stricter security measures like improved checkpoints, surveillance cameras and increased patrolling in all the wildlife areas of Goa.
A senior and retired wildlife officer mentioned to a GT reporter some months ago about a restaurant in North Goa selling meat of hunted animals in complete violation of forest laws. It is a well-known fact that wild boar meat is considered a delicacy in Goa and people living on the fringes of the forest hunt these animals.
Wild boars are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Hunting, selling or consuming their meat is illegal. While the taste of wild boar meat might be a reason for its demand, it's important to remember that wildlife conservation and following the law are crucial for a healthy environment.
While our Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane has promised strict action against the 16 government employees, a cause for concern is massive tree felling in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in his constituency. This doesn't bode well for our wildlife.
In 2021, in Sattari, there was a conflict between villagers of Caranzol and forest officials who arrived to investigate reports of large-scale tree felling. A forest official who was attacked by the villagers had to even fire in the air.
In 2021, in Sattari, there was a conflict between villagers of Caranzol and forest officials who arrived to investigate reports of large-scale tree felling.
To date, as one drives towards remote Caranzol, one can see a board stating forest department officials are not allowed in the village, asserting that there is something democratically very wrong here. The board sends a very wrong message and is demotivating for the guardians of the forests.
The situation in this part of Goa is a complex one and can be solved by carving a delicate balance where villagers and forest officials can find sustainable solutions that protect the forest while respecting the needs of the local community.
What will our lives be without our forests? This question needs to be answered by all because our forests play a crucial role in regulating our water cycle.
And when we talk about our forests, let us spare a thought for the tiger and its habitat. The answer to the ills that plague our sanctuaries lies in the tiger reserve of which no one is talking about today.
The government's silence surrounding the tiger reserve notification is deafening and will prove detrimental to what we have been able to save till now. If we have the right to live, then we also have a bounden duty to protect our wildlife habitats.