The Centrally-sponsored e-eye surveillance system for preservation of wild animals seems to be yielding results, at least reducing attacks by tigers on humans.
As per official records, eight incidents of tiger attacks on human beings have been reported in the past one year as against 28 last year, and a total of 90 in the past three years.
The electronic-eye system currently operational in the Corbett and Kaziranga Tiger Reserves and Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary may be extended to other tiger reserves as well, said the government.
“Besides observing the movement of tigers and other animals and acting as an early warning system wherein movement of poachers and intruders can be viewed before they reach the sensitive areas of tiger reserves, preventing wildlife crime, this (e-eye) in the wild also helps in monitoring dispersal of animals in human habitations leading to attacks on them,” government sources said, adding, “Therefore this facility may be replicated in other tiger reserves as well, depending on the necessity.”
According to official data, in the past one year two cases of attacks by tigers on humans have been reported from Karnataka and one each from Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“To our astonishment no such attack happened in West Bengal in 2015-16 (till March 3) as compared to 10 last year,” said sources, adding, “Tiger attacks on humans have also remarkably decreased in Maharashtra which did not see even a single such case in 2015-16.”
Outlining other steps taken to reduce human-wild animal conflict, minister of state for environment Prakash Javadekar said the National Tiger Conservation Authority has a multi-pronged strategy to deal with human-wildlife conflict, including habitat intervention, restricting habitat intervention, and material and logistical support.
“Based on the carrying capacity of tigers in a reserve forest, habitat interventions are restricted through an overarching Tiger Conservation Plan,” he said, adding, “In case tiger numbers are at carrying capacity levels, it is advised that habitat interventions should be limited so that there is no excessive spillover of wildlife.”