BENGALURU: Tumakuru may become the first district in the state to have its own dedicated ‘Wildlife Rescue Team’ to address the frequent human-animal conflict situation. Recently, the district has been facing a situation where leopards have been sighted in households, gardens and backyards resulting in capture-relocation operations.
With Leopard occupancy being pretty high in Karnataka, Tumakuru with its rugged rocky hilly terrain is an ideal habitat for leopards. In fact, 16 leopards were camera trapped in 10,000 acres of Devarayanadurga reserve forests. However, quarrying and dumping of animal waste and easy availability of prey has driven them to human areas. In this regard, an expert committee headed by the deputy commissioner will be meeting on the February 15 to finalise the issue. Further, district forest officials have asked for allocation of funds of `35 lakh under the Smart City project for setting up the rescue team.
The team will be equipped with the latest equipment and a vehicle fitted with all the facilities for capture operations either in a crowded city area or a village.
Ramalinge Gowda, Deputy Conservator Of Forests (DCF), Tumakuru said, “In a recent operation, we had lot of problems in tracing a leopard inside a house as it was hidden behind a gas equipment. Risking our lives, we had to search from room to room, so a drone would be ideal in locating the animal. And just like the reserve police, who have helmets and shields in a riot situation, we feel the rescue team should be equipped too.”
Apart from drones, the vehicle which will be costing `18 lakh will be fitted with fridge to keep the tranquillisation equipment like syringe, guns, etc.
With people sighting big cats in their surroundings, it has resulted in panic and fear about their presence. According to the DCF, with quarrying going on in forest hillocks, leopards have been straying into towns and villages while dumping of mutton and chicken waste in vacant TUDA sites has attracted stray dogs which in turn, the leopards.