Pandemic-led paycuts have not spared the "queen" of the Palamau Tiger Reserve. Rani, a German Shepherd tracking dog, who has sniffed out many a poacher and smuggler at the Betla National Park, hasn’t got a paise from State funds for her upkeep for the past seven months.
But Rani has been doing her work, foiling attempts at tree-felling or timber-smuggling, and scaring away poachers of deer and wild boar. She is so good at it that tree cutters often flee midway leaving their tools (tangi or axe) behind.
A hard-working dog needs to eat, and well, and Palamau Tiger Reserve officials and her handler are taking care of her needs from their own pockets. Kumar Ashish, Deputy Director, north division of the Palamau Tiger Reserve, said his officers were paying for her food, toiletry, etc.
“It’s been seven months now and there is no fund for the State’s Vanya Prani Sanrakshan Yojana under which we keep five elephants and a sniffer dog,” he added. The Deputy Director explained that his officers were spending on food and other essentials for Rani hoping that they will be compensated soon.
Under the Vanya Prani Sanrakshan Yojana (State Plan), expenses on the German Shepherd are pegged at Rs 1,57,300 for the year 2020-21. The Betla range officials said of this amount, the estimated cost of a German Shepherd’s medical soap, shampoo, medicines, belt, rope, towel, cotton, broom, room disinfectant, powder, etc. is worth more than Rs 11,000 a year.
Ashish said the provisions for the German Shepherd, particularly her grooming bill, will have to be curtailed as “the fund is nil now.”
Rani’s daily intake comprises 500 gram of rice/flour, a litre of milk and branded dog food (Pedigree), with the bill coming to a little more than Rs. 50,000 a year. A chunk of Rani’s expenses is meant for her handler -- Rs 95,000 annually. Ashish said he is grateful to the Betla grocers who have allowed the forest officials to buy food on credit.
There was another sniffer dog which died 10 weeks ago in the Betla range. When asked if the dog died because of any food crisis in this pandemic, Ashish said, “It died due to old age.”
