Paradip, April 21: The state government has launched a cash incentive scheme to elicit timely information on straying animals into human habitations to curb man-animal conflict.

There have been several reports of wild boars and deer straying into villages located on the fringes of Bhitarkanika National Park, destroying crop fields and vegetable cultivation, which has triggered man-animal conflicts. In order to regulate intrusion by animals, the department has taken several measures and conferring cash incentive forms part of it, said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, divisional forest officer, Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife).

"Timely information from ground-zero would help forest personnel drive the animals back to their habitation spots. The department would give cash incentives ranging between Rs 100 and Rs 500 to people who give information on animal intrusions. Though the amount is not much, it is a symbolic gesture recognising their role in wildlife and forest conservation," Acharya said.

Earlier, the department had launched a similar scheme to encourage riverside residents to provide information on incidents of straying crocodiles. The scheme yielded immediate results with the department being flooded with ground-level information. Now, the department has extended that scheme to sighting of wild animals in non-forest areas. The incentive scheme will cover illegal fishing and tree felling besides tip-off on wildlife offences.

"Any information on the whereabouts of straying animals would be rewarded with on-the-spot cash incentive. The rationale behind this innovative scheme is to drive away the animals to their original habitation corridors. Bolstered by the incentive, villagers are now coming forward to report wildlife officials of intruding animals," said forest a official.

The problem is that people are not forthcoming about providing information on straying animals.

On the rare occasions the forest personnel are informed are when the straying crocodiles or animals attack humans and domesticated animals. By the time the department drives the animals away, the damage is already done, said another senior official.