MYSURU: Close on the heels of three farmer deaths in just one month, the forest department has issued a deeply alarming revelation — 21 tigers have strayed into human-dominated landscapes across Mysuru district. The escalating intrusion, confirmed by the Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) himself, has intensified fear across forest-fringe villages where sightings and attacks are becoming a routine.
But the crisis unfolding on the ground runs far deeper than tiger movement. The forest department is grappling with a critical, system-wide shortage of wildlife veterinary staff, a gap so severe that it is slowing down, delaying, and in some cases even halting rescue and conflict-mitigation operations.
Under NTCA standard operating procedure (SOP), at least two trained wildlife veterinarians must be present during a tiger capture or rescue. Yet the entire state has just five wildlife veterinarians (except those working under Zoo Authority of Karnataka) for 31 districts, a number that is shockingly inadequate. What is even more concerning is that all five veterinarians are on deputation from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, and three of them have no wildlife background, said a forest officer, part of the tiger combing operation.
As villages in Saragur and HD Kote taluks in Mysuru district face repeated tiger incursions, the absence of specialised, dedicated staff has emerged as the biggest obstacle in conflict management. NTCA SOP to deal with emergencies arising due to straying of tigers in human dominated landscape suggest that capturing large fields poses a challenge and therefore requires a skilled team comprising wildlife managers and veterinarians proficient in animal anesthesia.
Permanent wildlife vet cadre in limbo
A permanent cadre of wildlife veterinarians, proposed decades ago, continues to remain trapped in files and official correspondence, never once seeing the light of implementation.
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, just two weeks back, sent a note on the urgency of creating a dedicated, permanent cadre of wildlife veterinarians in Karnataka. In fact, he has formally written to the additional chief secretary directing the department to initiate the process without delay.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a high-level meeting on the issue where he expressed his consent for taking up the necessary administrative steps to address the staff crunch. Yet despite clear political will at the highest level, the proposal continues to gather dust.
Lack of initiative within the system has kept the cadre from materialising. This bureaucratic inertia has directly contributed to today’s crisis. With no specialised veterans available during crucial rescue operations, both people and animals are being pushed into preventable conflict.
2 -day strike by frontline staff likely to leave wildlife unprotected
A statewide strike by daily-wage and outsourced frontline staff of the Karnataka’s Forest Department is set to leave vast stretches of wildlife territory unguarded at a time when man-animal conflict is already surging, raising fears of fresh poaching risks, unchecked forest fires, and uncontrolled animal movement.
Thousands of workers from all the 36 wildlife divisions including tiger reserves and national parks will gather at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru on November 17 and 18 demanding job security, health benefits, and an end to the outsourcing system that has dominated forest operations.
These workers constitute the first line of defence in anti-poaching patrols, fire-fighting, tower surveillance, wildlife rescue missions, elephant drives, and maintenance of solar-powered fences. Their absence even for a day, officials admit privately, leaves forests exposed.
Despite performing duties equal to permanent employees and risking their lives, frontline workers say they receive no insurance, medical support, or genuine departmental protection.
Over eight to ten workers reportedly die annually due to wildlife attacks. Karnataka Rajya Aranya Elakhe Vanyajeevi Ghatakakagala Dinagooli Horaguttige Noukarara Sangha (R), who has called for two-day strike, accused senior officials of ignoring ground realities while relying on outsourced labour.