While talking to news agency Kashmir News Bureau, Warden Rashid Naqash said, “The officers of the department deployed in the areas under the jurisdiction of the wildlife department are present and active 24/7.”“Within the notified jurisdiction of the Wildlife Department, that is 2000 sq Kilometres — Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves, National Parks etc
— around 400-450 well-trained staff members are appointed at Beat Block Rangers and their job is protection and propagation for conservation purposes,” he said, adding, “But wildlife, especially leopard and black bears, is not in these areas only.”
“It is not necessary that the rest of the area ‘18,000 sq Km forest territorial area’ does not have wild animals. From past years, wild animals have adapted in Urban areas, suburbs, townships, blocks, and Panchayats also,” the Warden Kashmir said.Kashmir News Bureau asked the reason behind the increase in the number of incidents in which wild animals such as leopards and black bears have been roaming around the human-populated areas.
He responded, “These animals are not infiltrating our territory but we, humans are infiltrating theirs.”
“We are bearing the consequences of the change in a landscape we have made in the past 40 years,” he added.
“The Horticulture has boomed and established within the forest land; human settlements are taking place close or inside the forest territory now. So, why not be prepared for the consequences as well?” He asked.
Regarding the Ompura’s heartbreaking incident, in which a 4-year-old girl was mauled to death by a leopard last night. The Warden Kashmir said that there is a created wilderness zone in the area.
“There is an adjacent nursery, which has become dense because the forest department has abandoned it. Plants have not been removed, resulting in the formation of a dense forest with time,” he said, adding that the issue has been there for the past 2 years.
“More than 50 times, our department set-up camps there, and just around 15 days ago, officers trapped a leopard as well,” the Warden Kashmir said.
Rashid Naqash said that as soon as the movement of wild animals is confirmed within any hotspot areas, the Wildlife department establishes camps to tackle the situation.
He further said, “Unfortunately, this particular house, where the heart-breaking incident took place, is very close to the nursery and did not even have proper fencing on one of the sides.”
“The Department has already issued the killing permission of the leopard. As soon as the animal is located, it will be eliminated” he assured, adding that the Forest Department has already been told to immediately start thinning the nursery.
He further said that so many times awareness camps and announcements were made to educate people about the do’s and don’ts.
“We tried our best to inform the people of the area to not allow children outside their homes during the morning and evening hours, as during those hours, leopards get active,” he said.
When asked for comments about people losing hope in the Wildlife Department and its officials due to the continued attacks and loss of precious human lives as well as livestock by wild animals in Kashmir, The Warden Kashmir said that the 22 Control Rooms operational across the valley are not enough.
”At times we need to withdraw staff from particularly protected areas just to ensure the safety of people in other areas,” He said, adding, ”We have 22 control rooms operational across the valley and are functioning 24/7. As per our analysis, the way urbanization has taken place especially around forest areas, the number of control rooms is not enough.”
He further said that these wild animals have adapted to such developments in their habitat and all they need is cover and food which they are getting in plenty.
Regarding the criticism received by the Wildlife department after the Ompura incident, the Warden Kashmir said, “It is not justifiable for the wildlife department to bear the brunt of such an incident because it is not a scenario created by the department.”
“It is the fault of the overall policies of land use and planning,” he emphasized.
“With least resources and man-power, the department is trying its best,” Naqash said, adding that, “In 99% of areas under the jurisdiction of our department, we have given safe passage to wild animals.”
“And the aim of our professionally qualified staff is to provide safe passage to such animals and lead them towards their corridors and we succeed in doing that,” the Warden said.
“This human-wild conflict is not only in Kashmir only but around the world but the only difference is that people are well educated about the behavior of these wild animals and also restrain from any violent acts against them,” he said.
He further emphasized, “As much as we educate people about these wild animals and how to tackle such situation; the lesser incidents we’ll witness in future.”
Moreover, about the work and responsibility of Jammu and Kashmir’s Forest Department amid the rising number of wild animal attacks in Kashmir, Rashid Naqash said, ”I would say, we need to make a joint strategy. Wildlife, Territorial officials, Forest protection force collectively can tackle this situation well.“
We have well-documented data about every incident that has taken place across the valley and can be used to formulate a solid strategy.
Pertinent to mention that in the wake of Ompura leopard attack, DC Budgam Syed Shahbaz Mirza on Friday suspended a Ranger Officer of Wildlife Department, Ompora for dereliction of duties. (KNB)