Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Bhupender Yadav said 10 Indian wetlands have been included into the Ramsar sites, taking the total number of such sites in the country to 64. The new sites include six wetlands from Tamil Nadu and one each from Goa, Karnataka, MP and Odisha.
Satkosia gorge is known for its unique bio-diversity and rich flora and fauna species like gharials, mugger, freshwater turtles. A narrow stretch of River Mahanadi near Tikarapada, it is located within Satkosia Tiger Reserve. It is approximately 22 km in length and part of Satkosia Sanctuary that spans over an area of 795.59 sq km as notified by the State government in 1976.
What is a Ramsar site?
Designation of Ramsar sites provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands, and wise sustainable use of their resources. As of April 2022, there are 2,437 Ramsar sites all around the world.
Odisha already has two such sites, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon Chilika notified under the Ramsar Convention on October 1, 1981 and the mangroves in Bhitarkanika National Park designated in 2002.
Experts believe that ‘wetland of international importance tag’ to the site has paved way for future recognition of other sites in the State including Hirakud Reservoir and Ansupa lake. According to National Wetland Inventory and Assessment, 2011, a total 6,907 hectare area from the total geographical land of the State is wetland.
As per reports, the department has planned to take villagers of Satkosia forest area to tiger reserve areas such as Periyar National Park in Kerala or any other tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh to make them aware about how humans and tigers are coexisting there.
“The coordinator of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will ensure the visit of locals to MP or Kerala. How locals can be engaged and their income can be increased amid the presence of tigers will be studied. Besides, the visit will let residents of Satkosia to know how to coexist with the big cat,” said Sandeep Tripathy, Chief Wildlife Warden.
Sources said the effort is aimed at pacifying the resentment triggered after tigress Sundari's relocation.
A joint team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and WII will visit Satkosia and submit a detailed report to the State Forest department.
Tripathy said further steps will be taken after getting the report from the joint team.
Meanwhile, locals in Satkosia have welcomed the decision by the Forest department.
“With the visit to other states, people will know how human beings will be safe and tiger population can increase. We welcome the step,” said Tapan Dehuri, a local resident of Satkosia.
On the other hand, a workshop was held in Bhubaneswar by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) on issues like probe into crime against wildlife and scientific investigation techniques.
Among others, the officials of the Forest department, police, Customs, CISF and RPF attended the workshop.
“The aim is to bring expertise in daily activities and enhance scientific and professional investigation skills. To overcome legal obstacles, they should know investigation techniques and have better forensic knowledge,” said Abhijit Roy Chowdhury, regional deputy director, of the WCCB.
Mahavir, also known as MB2, was three-year-old and part of the first inter-state tiger relocation in the country in June. The big cat had injuries in the neck which was first spotted by forest officials on Wednesday afternoon.
Satkosia Tiger Reserve authorities have confirmed the death of the male tiger saying, "Tiger monitoring team reported about the mortality of translocated male tiger which was brought from Kanha TR, Madhya Pradesh."
"The incident occurred 500 meters from Raigoda to Nuagada forest road inside the Nuagarh forest reserve of Athagarh forest division," said a release issued by the Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
A deep lacerated and five days old maggotted infected wound was observed in the dorsal neck region of the tiger which may be the cause of the death, the release added.
"A team to conduct post-mortem examination of the tiger carcass has been constituted by Field Director, Satkosia Tiger Reserve comprising of government veterinarian doctors, representative of NTCA, local NGO and others in accordance with the SOP by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The disposal of carcass through incineration will be carried out in presence of the veterinarian team and others as per the NTCA protocol," the release added.
The Forest department has appointed Ramasamy P, DFO of Satkosia Wildlife division as the investigating officer to carry out detail enquiry into the matter.
Later in the day, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) ADG Anup Nayak informed that the tiger translocation project has been temporarily put on hold and next step will be taken after a review.
Nayak further informed, officials of NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will arrive in Odisha tomorrow to probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, PCCF Sandip Tripathy said, "The male tiger had a maggot infected wound in the dorsal neck region. Reason of injury will be known after post-mortem, but radio collar cannot be the reason of death."
#LISTEN to what #Odisha PCCF Sandeep Tripathy says on the death of tiger Mahavir in the core area of #Satkosia tiger reserve #TigerMahavirKilled pic.twitter.com/PGR9wpxKEE
— OTV (@otvnews) November 15, 2018
It is pertinent to mention that a tigress from Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Sundari, the second big cat to be relocated, was tranquilised earlier this month following public outrage as it had allegedly killed two persons. At present, the tigress is kept in an enclosure and her condition is stated to be stable. As per newspaper reports, the National Tiger Conservation Authority which had monitored the complete process, will be sending a team to Satkosia for investigation.
"There might be lapses in the efforts to ensure security of the tiger and this should be reviewed. As this is the first inter-state translocation, this incident is quite saddening. First of all poaching should be stopped for success of such projects," said former PCCF BK Patnaik.
"Death of the male tiger Mahavir is unfortunate. Post-mortem of the big cat will disclose the reason why he died," said Subhendu Mallik, honorary wildlife warden, Khurda.
With the unabated deaths of elephants and tigers in different parts of the State, it seems the wildlife is under serious threat.
Meanwhile, two tuskers were killed yesterday after coming in contact with live electricity wires. While one of the carcass was recovered from Handapa forest range of Angul district, another was recovered from Deuli forest range of Mayurbhanj district.
On October 22, seven elephants had died due to electrocution under Dhenkanal Sadar forest range. Similarly, on September 5, two elephants had died after being electrocuted in Jajpur district.
Expressing grief & horror at the elephant deaths in Odisha, Union Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, wrote to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging him to take urgent measures to stop elephant deaths in Odisha.
Locals in the area are a worried lot and have demanded immediate shifting of Sundari from Satkosia area after the tigress allegedly killed a cow at Lehedi village two days back.
"After tigress Sundari killed my cattle, the villagers have been living in constant fear. They are unable to even move freely outside and look after their farmlands," said Sushma Sahu, whose cattle was allegedly killed by the wild cat.
Echoing similar views, another resident of Hatibari Puspa Gadatia stated, "How will we live here with family? We are terribly frightened following the incident."
The people here further alleged that the Forest department personnel are not keeping track of the tigress which is why it is venturing into the human habitation frequently.
"It becomes difficult for us to move outside due to 'Sundari' and therefore, we demand immediate shifting of the tigress. Staff of the Forest department have also failed to keep a vigil on 'Sundari'," alleged Raghu Gadatia, a local resident.
On the other hand, Satkosia Wildlife Division DFO, V Kartik said the tigress is being monitored round the clock. "When Sundari roams in fringe forests close to the village, additional range officers from Satkosia, Purunakote, and Tikarpada rush to the area to keep a track of the animal. Around 40 to 50 people are present in the tracking team. Forest department is concerned about the safety of villagers and people should not be afraid in any which way."
Kartik further claimed that compensation has been given to the person whose cattle was killed by the tigress.
In another incident on September 13, a woman was allegedly killed by Sundari at Hatibari village under Tikarpada Forest Range which had led to resentment among the locals.
Officials of the WII, NTCA and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau will conduct an on-the-spot inquiry and submit a report following which the state government will take action, informed Sudarsan Panda, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), today.
He further stated locals have been assured that an expert team will reach Satkosia by September 15 and action will be taken after reviewing the situation. “If required, the tigress will be relocated,” he said.
“However, because of an aberration or stray case, it is not right to jeopardise the tiger conservation project. The tiger supplementation programme will continue,” Panda stated.
As per latest reports, tigress ‘Sundari’ is roaming around in Athagarh forest division. “Two teams have been formed to monitor the tigress' movements. Besides, 10 field officers and police have been deployed to keep track of Sundari,” he informed.
The male tiger Kanha, which was relocated from the Kanha National Park to Satkosia Tiger Reserve, is co-habiting with two other tigresses and maintaining its territory well, the additional PCCF said.
On September 13, mutilated body of a woman, identified as Kailashi Garnayak was found near Hatibari following which irate locals torched a forest range office, boats of forest department and a beat house. They also staged road blockade demanding relocation of the tigress.
“An expert team from Bandhavgarh will reach Satkosia on September 15. Thereafter, they will tranquilise and make arrangements for shifting the tigress. A decision has already been taken by the Forest department. Besides, a team of police and Forest department personnel will keep a vigil on the tigress till her relocation,” said Basudeb Satpathy, Sub-collector, Angul.
According to Angul SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra, the tigress will be relocated and to tranquilise the animal, two teams from Bandhavgarh and Dehradun will arrive in Satkosia soon.
The tigress was relocated from Bandhavgarh sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and released in Satakosia Wildlife Sanctuary on August 18.
Besides, the SP added the Forest department will verify whether the tigress killed the woman as alleged by the local villagers.
"We have told the Forest and Environment department to keep a tab on the movement of the tigress and confirm whether it killed a woman of Hatibari village in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in the early hours of Wednesday," he added.
The deceased woman was identified as Kailashi Garnayak of Hatibari village whose body was found near a pond with multiple injuries.
Alleging that the tigress killed the woman, irate locals of three gram panchayats under the banner of "Khyatigrasta Praja Sangh" (affected people's union) set fire the Hatibari Forest Beat House and the Tikarpada Forest Range Office.
They had kept the deceased woman's body on the street and staged a road blockade near their village on Thursday demanding compensation to the family of the deceased and shifting of the tigress from the Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
The blockade was lifted after intervention by the police.
"We have assured the people that patrolling will be made and police will ensure their safety," Mohapatra told people while urging them not to take law into their own hands.
The Forest department on Thursday provided a compensation of Rs 60,000 to the family of the deceased.
"The State government should ensure that residents of Satkosia shouldn't face any hardship because of its decisions related to tigress Sundari in the future," a Satkosia resident, Anant Kumar Pradhan said.
Expressing similar views, President of Satkosia Khsyatigrasta Praja Surakshya Samiti (SKPSS), Janardan Sahu said, "Government should think about the people before shifting tigress Sundari."
Meanwhile, questions are being raised on why the tigress has been kept inside a closure for so many days and whether it will affect the wild animal’s natural instincts in such a controlled environment. A few days back, the National Tiger Conservation Authority had raised questions over the role of the Forest Department in addressing the issue. However, Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Tripathy said that NTPC guidelines have been followed and soon Sundari will be released into the forest.
"Lessons learned in the recent past should be used constructively. Experience during Sundari's stay at Satkosia reserve should make them bring some changes in the guidelines to ensure proper translocation in a human-settlement area," a wildlife expert Lala Aswini Kumar Singh said.
Sundari, brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in June 2018, was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in August as part of the tiger translocation project. But after protests following allegations that the tigress killed two persons and a bullock in separate incidents in Baghamunda and Tainsi villages inside the tiger reserve in October 2018, the State government had decided to capture the big cat and release it into Nandankanan Zoo.
The allegation has been levelled by one Raghu Soy following which panic has once again gripped the local residents of Satkosia.
Earlier on October 4, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sudarsan Panda had informed that the big cat moved into the core area of the forest by itself.
Panda had also said that the tigress was moving nearby the male tiger, which was relocated to Satkosia from Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh few months earlier.
Earlier, four teams of the officials of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Satkosia Forest Department, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Nandankanan Zoological Park were deployed to monitor the movement of Sundari and relocate her to deep forest after its presence triggered panic in several villages near the vicinity of the tiger reserve.
It is being alleged that Sundari had killed a woman at Hatibari village under Tikarpada Forest Range on September 13.
Few days later, tension also erupted in Lehedi village under Athmallik forest division of Angul district after the tigress allegedly killed a cow.
According to sources, four teams have been formed which consists of officials of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Satkosia Forest Department, Kanha Tiger Reserve and Nandankanan Zoological Park.
The officials are jointly monitoring the movement and behaviour of tigress ‘Sundari’ in Satkosia Tiger reserve. While Sundari is currently residing in the buffer zone of the reserve, field director has informed that the relocation process has already begun.
On the other hand, it is not clear whether tranquiliser, trap or any other method will be used to shift Sundari.
"The teams have inspected the forest to trace the position of the tigress. The technical team comprised of doctors and scientists will finally take a decision on how Sundari will be shifted," Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Dr Sudarshan Panda said.
While the forest officials are trying their best to ensure smooth shifting of the tigress, the villagers want Sundari to be taken back to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
"The tigress is attacking cattle. We are scared and not able to step out of our homes. The big cat should be shifted back to its initial habitat," Athmallik resident Kumud Chandra Mishra said.
Another Athmallik resident Deepak Sahu said,"Residents were not happy over compensation. It is a good news that the tiger is now being relocated."
On September 18, tension had erupted in Lehedi village under Athmallik forest division of Angul district after the tigress allegedly killed a cow.
It is also being alleged that Sundari had killed a woman at Hatibari village under Tikarpada Forest Range on September 13.
While some residents of Katrang and Satyajaipur villages have stopped going to their farm lands, many are guarding their houses with sticks and axes.
Some of the villagers are claiming to have seen the tigress while one of the villagers is said to have suffered injuries while trying to run away from the wild cat.
“We are not going to our farm lands and have decided to stop farming completely as we are scared that we might be attacked by the tigers. We are not even taking our cattle for grazing,” Katrang resident NayanPradhan said.
Similarly, Satyajaipur resident Brajabandhu Behera said, “We are always keeping sticks and axes with us because at any point of time we could be attacked by the tigers.”
Earlier, residents of Satkosia and nearby areas had gheraoed the Angul Collector’s office over the matter. Now they are preparing to file a case before the Human Rights Commission and are also preparing to go to the Supreme Court.
Secretary of Satkosia Praja Surakshya Samiti, Birja Jani said, “We will file a case in the court and meet the Governor, concerned authorities at the Centre and urge them to find a solution to our issue.”
On the other hand, Satkosia forest officials have said that a 18-member team is always keeping a close watch on the movement of the tigers.
“The tigress has not yet fixed her territory, so she is roaming around to survey. She has not attacked anyone till now and will not do so in the future as well,” said Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Sudarshan Panda.
Scientist from Wildlife Institute of India K Ramesh said that the tigress will explore the area for first two months. “This is natural behaviour of wild animals to roam in the nearby areas. They explore the area and take some time to fix their territory,” he said.
Earlier this month, Sundari, the Royal Bengal tigress brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
On July 6, a tiger brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh was released into the same Tiger Reserve.
As per reports, this was the first pair of tigers released into the forest under the tiger relocation project. Another two pairs of tigers will be released into the forest in subsequent phases under the ambitious project taken up by Odisha government to increase their population in the tiger reserve.
The deceased has been identified as Sudura Pradhan of Matiasahi village.
According to sources, the incident took place when Pradhan was feeding the elephant a banana plant inside Purunakote Forest Range Office, where the pachyderm was kept.
It is suspected that the elephant went berserk as there was a delay in serving food after it was chained, added sources.
The forest officials reached the spot to find out under what circumstances the elephant attacked the villager. Anugul DFO informed that the incident took place when ‘Yashoda’ was being served food.
An ex-gratia of Rs 4lakh has been sanctioned by the administration for the family members of the deceased.
Reportedly, ‘Yashoda' was brought from the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary to Satkosia Tiger Reserve to help in the operation to tranquilise tigress ‘Sundari.’ The tigress was finally caught with the help of ‘Yashoda’ on November 6.
The two-year-old tigress is expected to reach the reserve by today evening. However, the route through which the tigress is being brought to the State has not been disclosed keeping in view security of the animal, source said. The relocation is a part of State government’s efforts to revive tiger population in the protected forest.
The tigress is being transported in a special vehicle of the Madhya Pradesh forest department after being tranquilized on Wednesday evening. Forest officials and veterinary doctors from both the states are accompanying to ensure safe relocation of the big cat.
"We are expecting the animal to reach the State by the end of this week. A special enclosure for the animal has been kept ready. The tigress too will be fitted with tracking devices for surveillance purpose," informed a senior forest official.
The male tiger from the Kanha Reserve Forest in Madhya Pradesh currently lodged in the Reserve since June 21 has been housed in a specially-designed enclosure with CCTV surveillance.
It is behaving quite normally, informed the forest officials.Once the tigress reaches Odisha, both the animals will be released into the forest, informed sources.
The Satkosia Tiger Reserve will receive four more tigers from Madhya Pradesh which will be relocated in phases. All the tigers identified for relocation are below 3 years of age and now in the Kanha National Tiger Reserve of the neighbouring State.
According to reports, around 20 suspected extremists are roaming in Satkosia forest which spreads from Narasinghpur to Angul. Meanwhile, Cuttack and Angul police have intensified combing operations in the area. “It is not confirmed whether they are the left wing extremists. We have started combing operations in the area. Jawans will be deployed in the forest soon,” Cuttack SP (Rural) Madhab Chandra Sahoo told OTV over phone.
The locals who had suspected them to be animal poachers were assured by the police that, once confirmed, they will be provided security.
Sources said, some activities were reported in the local forest some years ago following which police had launched combing operations two times earlier. But there was no confirmation.
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While a resident of Tuluka village in the Satkosia sanctuary was trampled to death by an elephant, an employee of the Forest Department, Surendra Behera, was injured in an elephant attack at Mangalajodi village in Tangi while chasing the big animal back to the forest.
Behera was shifted to a Bhubaneswar-based hospital in critical condition.
In a letter to chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday, Ramesh said during his visit to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, he was shocked to learn that the tigers are on their way to extinction in Simlipal and Satkosia forests in Odisha.
Reminding the chief minister of the steps he had taken during his stint as Union minister for Environment and Forests, Ramesh said under his initiative a special task force was constituted in June, 2009 to save the tigers of Odisha which are unique because of their special black stripes.
He said the state government officials were in denial mode at the time and had challenged the population estimates made by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
“Nothing seems to have changed—in fact the situation may have got worse with tiger population estimates down to a low single digit in the state. It would be a calamity if the tigers of Odisha were to become extinct. Unlike in Panna and Sariska, tigers cannot really be translocated to Simlipal and Satkosia and hence the importance of not only saving but augmenting what is there now,” Ramesh noted.
Requesting the chief minister not to see any politics in his communication, the former Union minister told him that he had earlier shared his interests and hoped he would also share his concern over this issue.
"The 118 villages coming under the tiger reserve will be de-notified and a fresh boundary notified by adding adjoining forest area spread over 228 square km into the reserve," divisional forest officer of Satkosia wildlife sanctuary S.M.T. Rehman said.
With the de-notification of the villages, their residents can carry out developmental activities, including cutting of trees planted in their houses, without seeking prior permission of the forest department.
Besides, the new boundary will restrict human habitat and help conserve the habitat of tigers and other wildlife in the sanctuary.
A senior official said that the National Board for Wildlife was preparing a report on the rationalisation of the Satkosia Tiger Reserve, one of the two tiger reserves in Odisha spread over the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh.
"The wildlife board has constituted a committee, which has already visited the area several times to prepare a report for the boundary rationalisation. We are expecting a report soon," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) S.S. Srivastav told IANS.
While 118 villages fall under the tiger reserve's notified area, 11 others are in the core area.
The authorities want to move out the core area villagers to conserve the tiger habitat.
According to the Wildlife Institute of India, every critical tiger habitat should have a 1,000-3,000 sq km buffer zone for effective forest conservation and wildlife protection.
The Satkosia reserve sprawls over 963.87sq km and has 523.61sq km as core area. The area is also a part of the Mahanadi elephant reserve.
Satkosia is also a meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India - the Deccan peninsula and the Eastern Ghats - contributing to immense biodiversity in the region.
According to the report, Odisha presently has only 28 tigers as compared to 32 in 2010 and 45 in 2006.
The exact status of tiger population in Similipal and Satkosia was not known since the detailed report was yet to be published, said Chief Wildlife Warden S S Srivastava adding he was optimistic about presence of about 40 tigers in Similipal alone.
In 2010, the tiger population in Similipal was recorded at 23, while it was eight in Satkosia.
"I doubt something is missing in-between. The tiger population in Odisha should be more than 28. We will take up the matter with the authorities concerned," Srivastav told reporters here.
"The dwindling number of the big cats in Odisha clearly points at indifference of the state government to secure tiger habitats," alleged senior Congress leader and former minister Niranjan Patnaik.
As per latest reports, 'Yashoda' accompanied by four mahouts and officials of the Forest department have reached Purunakote division in Angul district and is likely to reach Satkosia forest range later in the day today.
The Forest department is also planning to bring two other kumki elephants from Karnataka.
After talks to bring a trained elephant from Similipal Sanctuary to catch tigress 'Sundari' failed due to some unknown reasons, the Forest officials are in touch with their Karnataka counterparts to bring kumki elephants.
Besides, two expert teams from Madhya Pradesh have already arrived in the forest to tranquilize the tigress.
It is pertinent to mention that Sundari, the Royal Bengal tigress brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in June, was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in August as part of the tiger relocation project.
But after the tigress allegedly killed two persons and a bullock in separate incidents in Baghamunda and Tainsi villages inside the tiger reserve last month triggering tension in the area, the State government has decided to capture the big cat and release it into Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar.
Pradhan was nabbed by the Angul police from Mendhasala area in Bhubaneswar early today morning. With this, the total number of arrests made in this connection reached 29.
“So far 29 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence. Pradhan’s driver, Bipin Sahoo who was also involved in the violence was arrested yesterday. Pradhan was arrested today from Bhubaneswar and forwarded to court,” informed Angul SDPO Harihar Pani.
Pradhan was also allegedly involved in the torching of the forest department’s range office in Tikarpada and the forest beat house in Hatibari after the death of a woman of Hatibari village on September 12, he added.
Protesting the arrest, the activists of the saffron party staged demonstration outside the office of Superintendent of Police in Angul.
“The State government made the residents of Satkosia area vulnerable by releasing the tigress into the forest; and in order to prevent itself from criticism, it is using the police as hooligans. People are now more afraid of police than the tigress,” alleged BJP State secretary Kalandi Samal adding that the BJD thinks by arresting the workers of the saffron party, the ongoing protests will end.
He further alleged that the police is acting as per the direction of the 'third floor'.
Earlier on October 21, one Trinath Sahoo of Tainsi village under Satkosia forest division was also allegedly died in the tigress' attack.
Soon after the incident, tension prevailed near Kanjara on Angul-Sambalpur National Highway-55. Villagers torched a police vehicle and pelted stones at police and senior government officials demanding compensation for family of the deceased and relocation of tigress Sundari from the area.
Angul Sub-Collector, Tehsildar and Angul Inspector-in-charge (IIC) were injured in the stone pelting by the villagers. Later, police had to resort to lathicharge in order to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.
Palpable tension prevailed in the area after locals spotted the mutilated carcass of the bullock early morning today.
As per reports, a four-member team comprising experts and doctors from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Nandankanan Zoological Park and gun assistants that reached Angul from Bhubaneswar yesterday night to catch the tigress and take it back to the enclosure, have not been able to visit the spot due to the prevailing tension in the area.
Alleging involvement of Sundari in the attack, the locals prevented the special four-member team from tranquilising Sundari, sources said.
Meanwhile, another team of experts from Similipal will join the current team to tranquilise the tigress, while sources claimed the forest department is waiting for the permission of local administration for tranquilisation.
“After tranquillisation, the tigress will be kept in enclosure in Raiguda. A letter has also been shot to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife regarding further steps,” informed Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sandeep Tripathy.
“Four forest officials have gone missing from Satkosia forest reserve since yesterday,” he added.
On Sunday, the tigress had allegedly attacked one Trinath Sahu of Tainsi village to death while he had gone for fishing.
Following the incident, the villagers reportedly thrashed and detained an Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Srikant Behera, who had visited the village to take a stock of the situation yesterday.
Later in the evening, the locals also torched a police vehicle and pelted stones at police and senior government officials injuring Angul Sub Collector, Tehsildar and Angul police station Inspector-in-charge (IIC). They alleged that the tigress has become ‘man-eater’ and demanded to send Sundari back to Madhya Pradesh.
It is pertinent to mention that the big cat was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in MP in June as a part of the country’s first interstate translocation drive to boost the tiger population.
The deceased has been identified as Trinath Sahu.
According to reports, Sahu had gone for fishing when the tigress allegedly attacked Sahu leading to his death on the spot.
Meanwhile, the enraged villagers reportedly thrashed and detained an Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Srikant Behera, who had visited the Tainsi village in the morning to take a stock of the situation after getting information.
Besides, they vandalised the van of Angul SP, who reached the spot after getting information about the incident.
"Some of our staff, who visited the spot for investigation, were detained and even attacked by the villagers. We are not denying the killing by an animal but it is very soon to establish the exact reason behind the incident," informed Angul divisional forest officer (DFO), V Kartik.
Speaking to OTV, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Bijay Ketan Patnaik said, "There may be various reasons due to which the tigress has not been able to adapt herself and is repeatedly moving towards human habitation. One of which might be, when the animal was in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, it used to stray into villages and it is doing the same here. Another reason might be that the tigress is yet to get any male partner."
On September 12, Sundari had allegedly killed a woman at Hatibari village under Tikarpada Forest Range here. Later, the tigress was also claimed to have killed a bull of the village.
Following protest, the forest department tried to chase away Sundari to the core area of Satkosia Tiger Reserve. However, the big cat herself moved into the core area of the jungle.
He further stated that the tigress would be tranquilised and relocated to the core area of the Reserve if it continues to remain violent and found moving towards human settlement.
“The WII researchers have kept a strict vigil on the movement of the animal. Forest officials of Satkosia, Athamalik including the Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) are also in the field to keep a track on the movement of Sundari,” informed Panda.
“After reviewing the behaviour, the tigress will be shifted to the core area of Satkosia, if the WII researchers advice so.”
Moreover, sources have claimed that Sundari is gradually adapting to the ecology and condition of the forest.
On Tuesday, tension erupted in Lehedi village under Athmallik forest division of Angul district after the tigress allegedly killed a cow.
It is also being alleged that Sundari had killed a woman at Hatibari village under Tikarpada Forest Range on September 13.
The Kumki elephants will be brought from Karnataka and would be engaged to keep a vigil on the tigers which were brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to Satkosia.
Chief Wildlife Warden, Sandeep Tripathy informed that Odisha government has already cleared the proposal and talks have begun with officials of Karnataka Forest Department.
“We have mooted a proposal to bring three Kumki elephants from Karnataka. This will be beneficial to carry out extensive operations, keep vigil on tigers and other aspects especially during monsoon,” said Tripathy.
At present, two trained Kumki elephants –Rajkumar and Mahendra brought from Karnataka a few years back are engaged in patrolling inside Simlipal.
Forest officials informed that the fresh proposal to bring Kumki elephants will assist in putting a check on rising incidents of man-animal conflict.
Besides, the trained elephants can also be used to rein in wild elephant herds and carry out patrolling inside deep forests and other inaccessible areas.
“It would certainly be beneficial as tigers would naturally fear elephants. The elephants can also be used for patrolling which can also help to check incidents of poaching and other wildlife crimes,” said wildlife expert, Bijayketan Patnaik.
In an exclusive OTV report from ground zero, the villagers open up about their fears and measures they have taken to guard themselves and their animals.
“We are not able to go out of the village. Even attending nature’s call has become difficult.We are staying awake throughout the night in fear. Even as the forest officials had promised to relocate the big cat to somewhere else nothing has been done yet," said a local resident of Kumuri village.
Meanwhile, Angul Collector on Monday sought intervention of Odisha government for immediate relocation of the tigress in view of the law and order situation arising after the big cat allegedly preyed upon an elderly person and a bull in the last three days.
A four-member team comprising experts and doctors from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Nandankanan Zoological Park and gun assistants have reached Angul to capture the tigress and put it back into the enclosure.
There are other equally pertinent questions that no one in the Forest department appears willing to answer. If increasing the tiger population in Satkosia is such a priority, why was the tiger that managed to slip out of the reserve right under the nose of field level officials and land in Nandan Kanan in 2013 kept in confinement in the zoo – and that too in wanton disregard of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) order - instead of being ‘relocated’ to Satkosia? Is it because translocation from one place in the state to another does not earn the same mileage for the Forest department that the ‘first-ever inter-state translocation of tigers in India’ does?
Now that she has literally ‘tasted blood’, there is every possibility of tigress ‘Sundari’ having turned a man-eater. But even after she has killed two humans and several cattle, the department is still waiting for the storm over the killings to die down and looking for ways to keep her in Satkosia instead of considering ‘translocating’ her back to where she came from. Can the department, which is finding it tough to track her movements, give a guarantee that she won’t kill more humans and cattle? Is it waiting for the situation to get to a stage where it has to requisition the services of Hyderabad based hunter Shafat Ali Khan to kill ‘Sundari,’ as was done by the Maharastra forest department to kill Tigress ‘Avni’?
Forget the ‘translocation’ fiasco. Forest department mandarins must first answer this question: how did the population of tigers in Satkosia, 12 when it was declared a tiger reserve in 2007, dwindle to just one in the first place? Counting out the one that slipped out to Nandan Kanan, where did the rest 10 vanish when the department has no record of any poaching or natural death during the period?
The killing of an RBT in Debrigarh also raises its own set of questions. How come the carcass of the tiger was first spotted by Subhendu Mallick, honorary wildlife warden of the Khurda Wildlife Division and not forest department officials in Bargarh? Why was there an attempt by the Forest minister and the PCCF (Wildlife) to mislead the people by claiming that it was a leopard and not an RBT, even before the post mortem had been conducted or the body samples were sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for confirmation? [It is noteworthy that there was a similar attempt to obfuscate the issue when ‘Sundari’ killed a woman in Hatibari village on September 12 by claiming that the woman might have been killed by some ‘wild animal’ in a desperate bid to ‘prove’ that she was not killed by the tigress.] Why does the buck always stop at the level of foresters and forest guards, who are expected to fight poachers armed with guns with nothing more lethal than lathis? Why not the DFO? Or even officials higher up?
Years ago, I remember getting startled – and shocked – at the assertion of a wildlife expert, a retired top Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, at a seminar on wildlife that the ‘best way’ to save forests and wildlife is to disband the Forest department altogether! It is only now that I am beginning to understand the import of what he said.
Man-animal conflict is as old as human civilization. The idea behind creating the Forest department was to minimize the conflict; to ensure that the forests are preserved and wild animals don’t stray into human habitations in search of food. But far from coming down, man-animal conflict has only risen phenomenally over the years. In spite of having the best of technology, equipment and knowhow, the Forest department has failed to save either wildlife or humans. If anything, the toll – both human and animals – has only gone up.
If this is they the case, we can actually consider the option suggested by the expert seriously and leave both humans and wild animals to their fate!
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same)
As per the chief wildlife warden of Odisha, the tigress has lost the faculty of preying after spending time enclosures and discussions were held today to take steps for restoration of the hunting abilities of Sundari. At a meeting on the future of the tigress, discussions were held on rewilding of Sundari for which a 25 hectare enclosure has been proposed. Experts from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India will be roped in to assist in rewilding efforts.
"After staying in captivity for long, it is necessary to rewild the animal. It's a procedure and the animal can be released to the forest after rewilding. As far as the timeline is concerned, it will depend on the condition of the tigress and its adaptability," said Anup Nayak, NTCA member secretary.
Moreover, discussions were held to shift the tigress from the Satkosia wildlife division to the Mahanadi wildlife division. Apart from the chief wildlife warden of Odisha, the meeting was attended by NTCA member secretary and officials of the Satkosia forest division.
Sundari, which was brought from the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in June 2018, was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in August as a part of the inter-state tiger translocation project.
But allegations of death of two persons and a bullock due to attack by the tigress in separate incidents in Baghamunda and Tainsi villages inside the tiger reserve area in October last year sparked public outcry and forced the Forest department to relocate the big cat back into the special rehabilitation enclosure.
Frequent meetings are being organised in Satkosia comprising locals and district administration and reports suggest that officials are creating awareness so that people could understand the behavioural instincts of the wild animals. Subsequently, a report on the future measures will be submitted to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Chief Wildlife Warden Harishankar Upadhyay said, “The officials organised a meeting with locals to discuss about the future of Sundari. Based on the findings and reactions, we will submit a report to NTCA, only then we can decide what needs to be done.”
“Our next strategy is to create awareness among the locals on the need to live amicably with the animals. So at first, we need to work on developing a favourable social ecosystem,” he added.
While the forest department is rethinking about initiating measures to expedite tiger relocation project, experts are not in favour of the move. They have opined that Satkosia as a habitat doesn’t provide favourable conditions for increasing the population of the big cat.
“Forest department has overlooked the basic needs of a tiger. So I don’t think going to people will yield desired results. Odisha government should think of developing a model relocated village. If they don’t consider these things while marching ahead, it would be difficult for them to undertake these crucial projects in Satkosia and other reserve forests,” rued Khageswar Nayak, tiger expert.
The local populace however has welcomed the government move. “If they (govt) work in tandem with the locals instead of turning blind eye to the problems, definitely people will welcome the decision,” said Dileswar Pradhan, Satkosia local.
“What forest department officials are doing now, they should have done it much before. Then the killings could have been avoided,” expressed Biraja Jani, local.
Sundari, which was brought from the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in June 2018 as part of the inter-state tiger translocation project, was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in August the same year. However, allegations of death of two persons and a bullock due to attack by the tigress in Baghamunda and Tainsi villages inside the reserve area sparked protests forcing the Forest department to relocate the big cat back into the special rehabilitation enclosure.
Odisha’s tiger re-location programme received a major blow after MB-2, the other Royal Bengal Tiger translocated from the Kanha Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh died in the Satkosia.
Even as the forest department is keen on re-implementing the project, it remains to be seen whether they are able to develop an ecosystem where locals and big cat Sundari can co-exist peacefully.
Speaking on the development, State Chief Wildlife Warden Harishankar Upadhyay said, "Following NTCA letter, Odisha government has agreed to relocate tigress Sundari back to MP. We have already written to Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh. They will send a team for shifting Sundari and relocation will be carried out at any point of time now."
Reportedly, NTCA in its letter had said that tigress T-2 cannot be allowed to be kept in small enclosure any longer. In the interest of Tiger Conservation, the Tigress T-2 shall be withdrawn and brought to Ghorela Centre at Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh with immediate effect for re-wilding and subsequent release to suitable habitat. The letter further stated that the tiger translocation programme at Satkosia tiger reserve shall be suspended till the ground situation improves as per NTCA guidelines, advisories and subsequent feasibility study by NTCA.
Human Elephant Conflict
Apart from shifting of Sundari, Upadhyay informed that the forest department personnel of Odisha will undergo a special training in West Bengal this month to tackle rising human-elephant conflict. During the session, they will be imparted training on how the forest personnel in the neighbouring state have been able to handle the conflict.
"In order to reduce further losses to human habitat, we are sending some of our officers to West Bengal which has been successful in tackling the menace. A special vehicle will be brought from West Bengal to control elephant rampage. As far as radio-collaring the elephants is concerned, the Indian Institute of Science has given an estimation. We need to track wild elephants to ensure that people do not suffer," said Upadhyay.
The enumeration of avian species began in Satkosia wildlife division with as many as 10 units of forest officials carrying out the census from early morning today.
Many migratory birds belonging to rare species like Brahmani Duck, Indian Skimmer and Bar-headed Goose arrive at Satkosia's Mahanadi river system in the winter season.
"During the bird and crocodile census, fishing will be prohibited in the Mahanadi river system and even tourists will not be allowed to visit the sanctuary during the first two weeks during the census," Satkosia DFO Ramaswamy said.
Speaking about the rare birds, environmentalist Ashok Satpathy said, "Mahanadi is one of the favourite places for these rare avian species."
Similarly, the counting of birds has also started in Mahanadi river system, Sisupathar dam, water bodies in Mayurbhanj district including Simlipal, Baripada, Rairangpur and Karanjia.
Bird census will begin at Chilika Lake tomorrow and on January 6 at Bhitarkanika and Hirakud. Apart from bird counting, the annual census of crocodiles will begin in the State from January 9.
Informing this, Odisha Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife Hari Shankar Upadhyay said the NTCA has been urged to clarify whether the tigress will be staying in Odisha or it would go back to its place of origin.
"If the tigress doesn't go back to its native, a decision on its future will be taken jointly by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), NTCA and Odisha Forest Department," he added.
Sources said, the NTCA had written to the MP Forest Department in December last year, asking it to bring back the tigress to its original habitat. But the government of MP has kept sitting on its order.
On the other hand, Red Lynx Confederation, an NGO fighting for wildlife conservation and animals’ rights has filed a PIL in Madhya Pradesh High Court regarding the current status of the project and condition of the tigress. The Court has directed the Odisha Forest department to produce a report on the condition of Sundari. Accordingly, the Divisional Forest Officer, Angul is scheduled to appear before the MP High Court next week.
'Sundaari' was translocated from Bhandhvgarh tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh to Odisha in 2018 under inter-state tiger translocation programme. The big cat was released into the Satkosia sanctuary in Angul district. But, later it was lodged in an enclosure after the animal killed a man and a woman living inside the reserve in September, 2018. The incident had triggered massive violence when a group of locals set ablaze a forest beat office.
Quoting media reports, he expressed concern that the tigress is not being taken care of properly as per prescribed guidelines by the NTCA due to which the animal has lost its natural instinct and behaviour.
"A team sent to Odisha to take back the tigress found that Sundari has lost is wild nature due to pro-longed confinement and presence of human around her. If it is released into the wild again, it would be dangerous for the animal as well as human. Experts have backed the idea of releasing it into a large safari enclosure. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has also given consent for preparation of such safari at Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha tiger reserve. The tigress would be staying at Ghorela centre in Kanha tiger reserve where a tiger cub is kept under supervision. Once the cub is moved out of the Ghorela centre, Sundari will be released into it," the letter by the Madhya Pradesh CM read.
"Therefore, I request you to ensure proper care of the tigress until we have prepared fully to take it back and shift it to Ghorela centre," Singh Chouhan stated.
In a tweet, he also mentioned that the government of Madhya Pradesh had given tigress ‘Sundari’ and a male partner to Odisha in 2018 with a special request of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and government of Odisha.
It is worth mentioning that the Odisha Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Wildlife, Hari Shankar Upadhyay recently wrote to the NTCA to take call on the tigress which has been in confinement in an enclosure for long. He urged the NTCA to clarify whether the tigress will be staying in Odisha or it would be taken back to its original habitat.
Earlier in December last year, the NTCA had also instructed the government of Madhya Pradesh to take the big cat back, but the government didn't comply with the order.
‘Sundari’ was translocated from Bhandhvgarh tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh to Odisha in 2018 under inter-state tiger translocation programme. The big cat was released into the Satkosia sanctuary in Angul district. But, later it was lodged in an enclosure after the animal reportedly killed a man and a woman living inside the reserve in September, 2018. The incident had triggered massive violence when a group of locals set ablaze a forest beat office.
The team comprising an assistant conservator of forest and a veterinary expert with other auxiliary staff, which has arrived in the State, will visit the special enclosure at Raiguda in Satkosia where the big cat has been kept since 2018. The team will take two to three days to study on its behaviour before transferring it to Ghorela Rewilding Centre in Madhya Pradesh. A special van has also been brought to the State for the transportation of the animal.
The team has planned to catch the big cat through trap. If the strategy fails, the tigress will be tranquilised, Satkosia Field Director said.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Sashi Paul said that the Kanha team will remain there for at least 3-4 days and study on the tigress' health and behaviour. Then, decision will be taken for its translocation.
‘Sundari' was brought from the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in June 2018 and released into Satkosia Tiger Reserve as a part of India's first tiger translocation programme.
The tigress was shifted to the enclosure after it had allegedly killed a woman and an elderly man living in the reserve forest area in September 2018, triggering widespread resentment among locals.
Following the incident, locals had torched a forest beat house and demanded shifting of the big cat.
In 2019, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had asked the Odisha government to send back Sundari to its place of origin.
In December last year, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had written to his Odisha counterpart alleging mishandling of the tigress by Odisha forest department. He had requested the Odisha CM to ensure proper care of the animal until his State forest department was fully prepared to take it back.
The big cat was released into a special enclosure at Ghorela in the reserve on Wednesday night, the official said.
The tigress along with a tiger had been sent to Odisha's Satkosia from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh as part of a rehabilitation programme in 2018, the official said.
The tiger was allegedly killed by poachers in Odisha while the tigress Sundari had allegedly killed two persons in Satkosia region, following which she was confined in an enclosure, the forest sources said.
"Due to some unwanted incidents and for the safety of people, Sundari was confined in an enclosure for the last two years. Later, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) suspended the translocation programme and directed Odisha to return the tigress to Madhya Pradesh," KTR field director S K Singh said.
A petition was also filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and the court last year directed to bring back the tigress to Kanha for training, he said.
A team of officials and a veterinary doctor went to Satkosia and brought the big cat back to Mukki range of KTR, the official said.
On Thursday morning, the forest staff closely monitored the tigress' activities and found her healthy and active, he said, adding that the animal will be released into the natural environment after some time.
https://youtu.be/6sFI_TAWbIQ
(With PTI Inputs)