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“Man is the only predator who hunts his own.” …
Kenneth Gordon Eade is an American attorney, environmental and political activist, and author of political and legal thrillers. And though many will think this as too much of activist’s attitude loaded in the quote yet when the topic is wildlife & tigers, indeed on analogy with humans, above words, how much harsh they may sound but are true. You don’t believe me, ok, considering the population of the tigers or any predators (species which hunts or say kill as their food) vs that of humans, have you ever heard tigers killing tigers or leopards killing leopards or an eagle killing eagle, just for sake of killing or to gain something or to take away another tiger’s or leopard’s belonging or just in the feat of anger? Agreed there has been fights between two tigers (male that too mostly) but they are for survival i.e., protecting their territory & most of the times the fight is avoided or settled by growling & mock attack unless both are very adamant! While the humans kill another human over anything & everything & yet when a predator read as a tiger) attacks a human then all hell gets lose! In one such incidence a lady forest guard has been killed by a tigress (named Maya) in Tadoba forest & entire wild life world went abuzz with pro & cons ahead about protecting wild life & human life. I have written an article about the incidence & got mixed reactions about it on the social media FB groups of wild lifers, so I thought of sharing few of them as well my take on the same, which itself has become an interesting awareness movement, so sharing here… (Names & language I have kept same to retain originality & they are cut-paste from FB groups, no offence plz)
Sunondo Roy
Nice post. I would add that
naming these tigers, instead of using their T# designation, seems to imply
these wild animals are like our named domesticated pets. As has unfortunately
passed, they are truly wild, exceedingly powerful and undeniably deadly. This
tigress clearly has a history of aggression towards humans and based on the
description in this article, she purposefully stalked this group and caught the
person in the back of the group, which happened to be the lady forest guard.
Considering all her victims have been women, it's curious if she specifically
stalked the female guard or that whoever was in the back of the group was going
to be the victim. Regardless, it would be better to remove the casual nature of
the pet names and stick to the T# designations. All of these tigers, regardless
of their sweet names, are by their nature, apex predators. That fact can't ever
be forgotten, by forest guards, guides or eco-tourists.
Kaushik Banerji
I am seriously not surprised
... why will people be on foot in a tiger forest? It is absolutely normal for
Maya to attack ... if she didn’t that is abnormal behavior … i have seen forest
guards on foot in Tadoba and also in Ranthambhore ... this has to be stopped!!!!!
Lavanya Sivakumar
"Maya's sudden aggressive
behavior..."
Are they expecting a tigress
to act like a house cat and pose for your cameras everyday? Ridiculous!! Even
house cats scratch you on the face, if they are not in a good mood. Tigers are
elite predators. If you want to be alive, keep distance from them. This is very
sick to come across so many news on human- animal conflicts, the poor animal
named as a maneater and finally getting killed.
Kay Hassall Tiwari
Sanjay Deshpande thanks for you reply.
Much of the naming i have done for my own interest and records since 1993.
Since digital photography and an huge increase in tourism many guides, drivers,
natutslists and photographers know more about the tigers in the tourism area
than the FD and keep their own records. Why not the FD should use tourism to
help its employees do the job of census and ID like it used to years ago. And
on another level vehicle behaviour and racing around chasing tigers simply has
to be controlled somehow but god knows how.
Guddi Dee Laishram
It's the Law of the Jungle,
it's the Principles of the Wild....really sad and sorry for the demised and her
family. Animals are territorial, even pets do.
Ram Josyula
Well written post… my humbles
respects to the lost life….. we need to also respect the sane wild animals it
it’s own home…. As we don’t tolerate any intruder into our home, so are they….
Don’t tag this beautiful one as man eater and target it… a humble request…..
Dhiraj Mirajkar
True, the incident is very
tragic..
True that Line Transects on
foot require armed escort to deter a hostile wild creature.
Beyond the above, we must
acknowledge that venturing into Tiger or Elephant country is hazardous in
itself and even in a safari vehicle one is not perfectly immune from animal
attack.
What is necessary is that
proper precautions have to be observed at all times.
As for naming tigers, what is
the scientific basis for the claim that it is undesirable ? None.
Abhi Velingkar
I dont understand the
statement of the official "Maya's sudden aggressive behaviour". As if
she has gone rabid "all of a sudden".
She is an apex predator, she
is a wild carnivore. She is going to kill. She isnt a tamed dog or cat. Even
they can bite.
The tigress had dragged her body into the forest.
This line is disturbing.
Prameek Kannan
The problem is that right now
foot surveys called line transects are still the most accurate way to both
obtain accurate information of vegetation quality and to get an accurate
population count of ungulates. And also the most effective way to detect against
poaching. Camera traps, while useful no doubt and now widespread have a limited
field of view - only around 10 m or so, around the trap site and only in one
direction since they are fixed in place. Camera trap census are therefore only
useful to census wide ranging wildlife - such as large terrestrial carnivores
which have home ranges in the 10s of square kilometres. As one does not need to
deploy too many camera traps to get an accurate population estimate of
carnivore population - around 1 trap site per 2-3 sq km is enough - which
translates to about 6-700 sites in a reserve as large as Tadoba. Unfortunately
ungulates - deer, pigs, antelope have small home ranges, which maybe less than
1 km, or just a few kilometres. So in order to get an accurate estimate of
their populations and densities via camera trapping one would have to deploy
10s of thousands of cameras per reserve - the maintanence of the same is an
almost impossible feat. I say this as a wildlife biologist who has years of
working with camera traps and line transects in varied geographies. Drones are
certainly an attractive piece of tech, but unfortunately make too much noise,
and large ones are cumbersome to operate in closed forest areas due to the
dense cover. Therefore a human observer is still right now the best recourse,
though ofcourse the threat to human life from potentially dangerous wildlife is
a huge hazard as evidenced by numerous such cases. If a small drone - the size
of a large insect or bird can fly along the same transect, and perform the same
duties as duties as a patrolling guard or one walking line transects, with a
camera ofcourse, making minimal noise so as not to disturb wildlife - this
would be an ideal way to substitute a human on foot and avoid danger to human
life.
Kay Hassall Tiwari
This is for sure a spot on
write up but there is more to add to this far more. As a none writer i am not
thr brst to do it but will try. Naming is not the issue. Training and
understanding of animal behaviour is more important. Training of guides and
drivers to tell all guests that an animal tiger or any does not like
disturbance . Most casual toirists think because a tiger crosses a road in
chaos it does not mind. Thats rubbish it tolerates it because the tiger must
get on with doing what it needs too. Years ago when i came to Bandhavgarh i was
often the only vehicle in the park and i rarely saw an elephant working and
virtuslly no humans ealking all over thr place ie forest guides and payrolling
staff. This had increased almost hundred fold. Plus of course tourism has also
increased like crazy. This is pressure on all wildlife. What do deer do if you
stop your vehicle mostly now they run away or if not a vehicle will come behind
and ovetyake you chasing the animal from sight. They flee the area. Tigers
generally try to avoid man thry tolerste the presence of man because thry have
too. And thry are not stupid they know core forest is less disturbed and
bothered by man than buffer. Howevrr sadly as all adpects of life for animals
is disturbed constantly from FD seemingly doing s job of protection and then
constant censuses of tigers the issue for everyone gets more complicated. Cats
overall are secretive creatures but can also respect us if ee dont pressure
them when they dont want us too. You can train a tiger as a pet too. But you
must be consistant in your actions and manners. They hate noise yet we talk all
the time and allow villages loud speakers. They hate sudden movements yet when
they make an appearance the vehicles start their engines and move chasing them.
I will say this is not what wildlife need or want at all. If man cant respect
animals then dont see them in the wild. Giving a name is about keeping
information. Mostly this is done by people who understand the creatures and
respect them. Even numbers are name a lable. The big question is it totally
necessary to do census by foot? It is very evasive and especially at
waterholes. It used to be done in vehicles with little walking off the roads.
And i do believe it is possible to study pug marks and know the differences of
tigers. You cannot expect all FD workers to have an afinity with tigers or any
others animals for many its just a job a means of earning. True wild lifers are
quite rare people and true big cat lovers probably rarers. Forcing these
dangerous jobs on people who dont learn about behaviour first is wrong. These
jobs are for dedicated individuals not the common man. I still be if the whole
park were open with limited tourism a camera and a dedicated person or a few
could pretty wrll record all tigers in the area within four years without these
silly event and limited training. Specialists like in Africa where people give
a lifetime to such work. I know there are People in India who could honestly do
this. Why cant the government allow. No walking in dense forest just infra red
cameras on footpaths and roads. Man by vehicle. Use tourism to help. Doubt any
one will appreciate this post here but just my thoughts.
Sunondo Roy
Kay Hassall Tiwari, I agree naming, by itself,
isn't any part of the actual problems you correctly describe. However, it
creates an illusion, I believe the term is maya, of domesticity that makes
people more casual, forgetting the apex predator that is…
Devyani Vasa
This man should not be outside
like this
High time that romanticising
this felines stops. That was her third confirmed man killing. Not the normal
behaviour.
Jai Mohan this
animal is under constant scrutiny of tourists and other humans. Whatever she
does, even intimate behaviour as mating or caring for her cubs are observed,
often at close range. That are not normal circumstances for a wild animal so
maybe it is not surprising she gets agitated now and then.
Jai Mohan
Stray Assist The facts of this
incident are entirely different . Happen to know this feline for the last so
many years . Even my book has a separate chapter on her. She is exhibiting man
eaters behaviour. Before this also she killed a man but the case was treated
just an stray case .
मी à¤ारतीय
With no protection, by foot
patrolling, and that too at 6 am in morning...do u call it duty???
It is so easy for senior
officials to pass orders and let the field staff in danger zone.
मी à¤ारतीय
No training is sufficient and
perfect, Late Swati Dhumane was not untrained. Its been 3 yrs Forest staff is
not provided with shoes and uniforms. Do u have any idea how do they work? I
have seen Forest Gaurds told to patrol alone by there seniors. Lady Guards too
not provided with Van Majoor or any labour...Forest Field staff work in very
hostile condition.
And these are just few, there are loads of more
comments & I am happy as it shows concern for the wild life though many of
the comments one may feel childish & reflect unawareness for which I won’t
blame the person commenting but the situation! Afetr going through all the
comments & wrote my take on it, summing up most of the points as below…
-
Maya the Tigress!
Friends, thanks for your active
response over my write up about Maya & the lady forest guard's death
incidence at tadoba, below are some of my replies to the concerns raised about
Maya's future, as well infrastructure to forest guards, need of foot patrolling
as well tourism, which fortunately wasn't & isn't the cause behind this sad
incident!!
Frds, thanks a ton for your valuable comments, my
appeal to the moderators of this group to compile all suggestions & put
forward to the authorities as somewhere some change will happen then!
Dear Sunondo, Kay Tiwari, Kannan & others, by
me naming a tiger can be of debate as the tigers doesn't know by what name you
are calling it, so no chance it will get a pets' status just by calling it by
some name, & about being casual with the tiger, well, you call it by number
or name that's the attitude of individual towards his or her own safety
actually & not about what you call a tiger! About infrastructure to the
forest guards indeed it’s not adequate is a fact & very true that many of
them joins this job just because they want safety & stability of the govt
job and forget about this risk of the life aspect of the job, unfortunately to
join the govt service criteria are different here & not dedication or
knowledge types! At the same time foot patrolling is a must in the forest, only
thing is with proper safety measures & precaution & training, which is
missing, so such mishaps can be avoided, is what I wanted to put forward! ...
The forest guards have to patrol on foot in the
forest, indeed Maya is not at blame but some serious actions have to be taken
for the safety of forest guards as well officials while they protect the
wildlife on foot, that's why the sharing! Nobody tagging Maya as man-eater but
safety of the forest guards as well officials can’t be neglected, was my point
well, that's the point, while dealing with any wild animal one has to
understand what it is in the first place & respect it for what it is,
that's the missing catch, which the forest dept must understand!
Please read my lines... "First aspect of the
incident is, over-friendliness of forest people with wild animals & with
due respect I have witnessed this not just in Tadoba but a few other Tiger
Parks also, where the ground level staff (especially guards) gets overconfident
about the behaviour of tiger & take them for granted! Getting too close to
them on foot or being casual with presence of wild animals around & here is
where the system (read as forest dept) is weak on training their staff properly
about etiquettes & manners in the forests. Many will consider this
statement rude or blunt but you can’t afford to be casual at any time in the
forest however time you have spent in there & this has been repeatedly
mentioned by none other than Jim Corbett who has spent his entire life in
forests, full of tigers!"
I doubt whether we can call Maya a man -eater as
she has never attacked on a regular basis as she roams around settlement of
forest staff quarters near Tadoba lake as has been seen by humans more than any
tiger around! Though she has attacked and killed is a fact too but 4 kills in 8
years & every time she hasn't reached for the human but it’s when human
carelessly went near her, is the fact!
These are my logics of course & I am no
authority on the subject! About what will happen to Maya, well, right now
nothing will happen to Maya but forest dept will observe her & better keep
safe distance from her which should be a practice with all tigers actually!
Bhai loag, all
portions of the forests can’t be patrolled by gypsy is the problem! we can give
the guards proper training as well proper safety arrangements for the guards
are a must!
sanjay deshpande (you can write me
one on one at smd156812@gmail.com )
read more at link below about the incidence...
https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/11/tigers-foresters-forest.html
……..
Well, if you have
still some stamina left to read then will test your patience a bit more;
friends, after reading all the above comments (few are from forest staff also,
I presume) one thing is sure, that is our poor & narrow sighted approach or
say attitude towards wild life as a whole! Right from not giving proper
infrastructure to the forest staff to act only after something bad (or wrong)
happens we never apply logical approach to wild life conservation; may it be
wild life tourism or wild life protection! Especially everything is dropped
on the head of wild life tourism, thankfully (with every respect to the lost
life of the lady guard) it was not the tourist which got killed by the tigress
Maya or else by now entire wild life tourism would have got banned forever, for
sure! Guys, we are talking about wild life
tourism, its not a zoo the tourists are visiting (even in zoo accidents have happened
though), we should take a form duly filled by the tourists for any attack of
loss of life by animals like tigers or elephant as there are bound to be some
risks when you are visiting real forests with wild life in it! As after this
incident suddenly Tadoba Tiger reserve has come up with a concept of changing
design of gypsy in which tourists can move in the forests & thinking of covering
it like a cage. Well, a caged Gipsy will stop a tiger
but what about attack from elephants or rhinos, are we going to use Armoured
Tanks for the tourists in the forests where elephants roam? As with due respect for the intentions of Forest
dept, in last three decades never a tiger or a leopard has attacked any vehicle
or gypsy, though there have been incidences of attack by elephants Indian Gaurs
on gypsy is also a fact. Rather if we
really care for lives of a tiger (wild life) & humans then proper training
to the humans with good infrastructure & a enough space for the wild
animals, is what we need to focus on! Open up all the forests for tourism as
tourists are eyes & ear of the wild life & use them as support than
looking as obstacle or disturbance & make a system accordingly, that’s what
we should do than blaming each other’s & that is what will differentiate us
from the other species which actually are more civilized than we the humans!
Sanjay Deshpande
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