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wards human related problems but there are very Maharashtra government is investigating the case.
few fighting for protection of wildlife and animals.” Sharpshooter Shafat Ali Khan said he is ready to face
Coming on the political aspect, before Avni was any probe into the shooting of Tigress Avni.
killed, there were hardly any political voices on the
issue. Everyone was keeping mum including Maneka PLUNDERING THE PLANET
Gandhi who is believed to be the strongest voice for Avni’s killings gained so much attention because it
wildlife protection. After Avni was shot on 2 Novem- is not just about one Tigress. Its about the existing
ber 2018, politicians jumped in seeking their own situation of wildlife in general. We are left with just
brownie points. 3900 tigers across the globe and despite that we ‘hu-
Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “The great- mans’ are mindlessly butchering all other species on
ness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals Earth. Within just two days of Avni’s murder, another
are treated. #Avni.” tiger was killed in Dudhwa, Uttar Pradesh where the
Union Minister Maneka Gandhi criticised Maha- villagers crushed the tiger using a tractor for maul-
rashtra govt and the involvement of sharp shooter ing down a 50-year-old man. Royal Bengal Tigress
Sundari from Satkosia, Odissa was tranquillised and
The dust storms in brought to a Zoo in Bhubaneswar.
In most European and developed countries, hunt-
Rajasthan and the ing is legal. Consequently, a majority of their wildlife
has been killed. Wildlife isn’t encroaching human
floods in Kerala were habitat, its actually the humans who has encroached
the wildlife’s habitat.
India has one of the strongest wildlife conser -
the worst reminders vation laws. Yet, poaching has been a major issue.
According to Wildlife Protection Society of India, 38
of our atrocious tigers died due to poaching and seizures in 2017 and
26 tigers have been poached and killed in 2018. 159
indifference towards leopards were poached in 2017 and 135 leopards died
due to poaching and seizures in 2018. There should
the environment be more stringent punishment for poachers. by humans for agricultural, housing and industrial of food and other resources, humans are massacring
Today, due to years of illegal hunting, a lot of forests
in India have become silent forests i.e. forests with
that surrounds and no animal presence.For example, most leopards liv- purposes. birds, fishes, mammals, reptiles thus destroying the
entire planet. Mike Barrett, executive director of sci-
ing in the Himalayan foothills now have to regularly
Wildlife is the greatest gift of Mother Earth which
sustains us enter villages to pick up street dogs for their survival cannot be brought back if lost. Just like Africa, India ence and conservation at WWF said, “If 60 per cent
as the natural prey-base of the surrounding forests
should look at wildlife as its greatest asset than liabil-
of the human population was wiped out, it would
has been destroyed by man. ity. We should be promoting wildlife and sustainable have been equivalent to combined population of
tourism. It is one of the best ways to earn green dol- North America, South America, Africa, Europe, China
Nawab Shafat Ali and his son Asgar Ali into the case. MAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT, A LAND ISSUE! lars and mitigate the man-animal conflict and also and Oceania.”
She said, “Asgar Ali was not authorised to kill. This So, the entire man-animal conflict is a land and create the spirit of conservation among the people. Wildlife specially predators like tigers are an in-
is patently illegal. Despite the forest officials being water issue. Humans are intruding into the forests Abhishek Ray, a tiger tracker and conservator dicator of fresh water and air, so by killing them
committed to tranquillise, capture and quarantine thus taking away the food and shelter of the animals bought an entire hill in Jim Corbett, Uttarakhand we are also putting our own future into danger.
the tigress, the trigger-happy shooter has killed her giving rise to the conflict. So, it is not the tigers, leop- and gave it to the wildlife. He allowed the forest to The only way of mitigating climate change is to
on his own, under the orders of Maharashtra Forest ards and elephants that has to be blamed for enter- grow as it is with no human intervention and today a re-wild and stop the diversion of existing forests.
Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.” Shiv Sena leader Adi- ing the human territory but restrictions have to be land which was a forest corridor and a major source At a time when everything seems to be gloomy,
tya Thackeray, too, slammed the state government put on human activity. Human population needs to of man-animal conflict is a thriving place for tigers, there is a Swiss philanthropist Hansjörg Wyss who
for killing Avni. The Pashu Chikitsak Mahasangh also be controlled as the planet is left with very limited leopards, 650 species of birds and lot of wildlife. Ray is donating $1billion to save 30per cent of Earth in
questioned the Maharashtra government for assign- resources and humans are eating away all resources who is also a music composer said, “We all must buy its natural state. He would be donating this money
ing the task of capturing Avni to a private hunter, without leaving anything for all other species. land and give it to the wildlife, only then we will be over a period of 10 years to keep the forests and the
who is not a registered veterinarian. Unfortunately, Forest corridors play a very important role in able to save them.” oceans clean.
when Avni was being shot at, there was no registered growth of tiger and leopard species as it gives When we don’t have fresh air to breathe and fresh
veterinarian present to tranquillise her. them space for improving their breed. And RE-WILDING water to drink, what will we do with all the amenities
After demands for a NIA probe by the protestors, at the same time, most of the forest en - Recent report by WWF have brought into notice which we have created under the so called ‘develop-
government has ordered two investigations into the croachments happen in forest corridors. that humans have wiped out 60 per cent of the wild- ment’ ! So, think again and invest in re-wilding.
Avni killing case. At the Central level, National Tiger 23per cent of India’s land i.e. 764,000-lakh life since 1970. The report prepared by 59 scientists
Conservation Authority (NTCA) and at the State level sq km of forest cover has been encroached across the globe mentions that due to growing need LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

TEHELKA / 30 NOVEMBER 2018 22 WWW.TEHELKA.COM TEHELKA / 30 NOVEMBER 2018 23 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

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