BENGALURU: After the death of a 10-year-old boy in a leopard attack near Nagamale Hills, which is 11 km from Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills and situated inside the wildlife sanctuary, the Karnataka Forest Department on Tuesday ordered the closure of all trekking routes, wherever wildlife is sighted and till the listed standard operating procedures (SOPs) are fully in place.
Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre issued the orders in reaction to the boy getting killed by a leopard on Sunday. Prior to announcing the ban, Khandre held a high-level meeting with forest officials and later announced that pilgrims will be allowed to visit MM Hills and Nagamale Hills only during Shivaratri and Ugadi festivals. Further, people will be allowed to walk only 3 km and not 14 km.
They will be permitted in small groups, accompanied by trained guides and forest staffers, who will carry walkie-talkies. “All devotees will have to take well-covered jeeps after buying tickets from designated counters.
The view lines en route will be cleared for wildlife sightings. Similar will be the case at Nagamale Hills, where people are not allowed to climb 7 km,” Khandre said.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Kumar Pushkar said the trek route closure is for the safety of the people. The SOPs too have been put out for the same reason. The department staff had been given till May 8 to implement the SOPs, but it is taking time to do so on the ground. Until the completion reports submitted and certificates issued, trekking will not be allowed, he said.
44 official trek routes in Karnataka
Karnataka has 44 regulated trekking routes. In the SOPs released on April 17, Khandre had ordered the closure of trek routes beyond 19 km. Directions were issued to all departments, including Jungle Lodges and Resorts, Eco-Tourism Development Board, Revenue Department, and others to abide by the rules. The SOPs were issued after a 15-year-old Kerala resident died in Chikkamagaluru and a 36-year-old Kerala woman went missing in Kodagu.
Wildlife population in forest patch up
Officials said that a group of eight people along with two boys, visited MM Hills and Nagamale Hills on Sunday. While returning from Nagamale Hills at 7.30 am, the boy went to attend nature’s call when the leopard dragged him away, said MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, DCF, Bhaskar B.
While there is a vehicle route to Nagamale Hills, citizens must walk 4 km to reach the temple. It is here that the boy was attacked. A similar incident occurred in January.
Another official said, “The wildlife population here has increased. We had proposed to the government to stop or restrict people’s access to temples. We introduced regulated trekking, but rules are violated. The forest patches are not being closed for political reasons. Recently, a cabinet meeting was held in MM Hills.”
He said, “The Sunday incident occurred near the Gopinatham range of Cauvery Wildlife Division, where the range forest officer’s post is vacant. Also, there is no RFO in Nagamale. Because of the staff shortage, guards cannot be deployed all along the walking routes of MM and Nagamale Hills.”
