In danger

Alipurduar, Aug. 19: The Global Tiger Forum has warned that trespassing into the reserve forests of Buxa to graze cattle could bring down the population of the big cats.

“Dense forest is not an ideal habitat for tigers. Grassland has to be restored for the survival of their prey animals. But people, mostly workers of the nearby tea gardens, stray into Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) to graze their cattle,” said Subhash Chandra Dey, the secretary-general of the Forum.

“Protection of tigers should also mean protection of their prey animals,” he added.

The Forum is an international body set up in 1994 with its secretariat in Delhi. It has launched a worldwide campaign to save the tiger. Seven tiger range countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam — are its members.

Dey advocated the implementation of a scheme on the lines of Joint Forest Management involving the workers of the tea gardens.

BTR is surrounded by at least 25 tea gardens. “The workers of the gardens, who keep a large number of cattle at home, should reduce the herd. If the number of domestic animals can be minimised, the grazing inside BTR can also be checked,” Dey said. “The forest department should also grow cattle fodder to prevent them from straying into the reserve forest.”

The official had a piece of advice for the foresters who go patrolling in vehicles at a particular time.

“The forest guards should patrol either on foot or on elephant so that poachers cannot escape hearing the vehicle’s sound. The foresters should not venture out at the same time everyday,” he said adding regular vigil would help a forester keep track of the animals available in his beat.

The official of the international body was here recently to attend the centenary celebration of Rydak Rest House in BTR.