COIMBATORE: Wildlife activists are raising concerns over the increasing menace of chain-link fencing by the farmers and private companies across The Nilgiris as it is posing a threat to the life of wild animals.
They cited a recent example where a sub-adult tiger was caught in a snare and rescued after six hours of struggle by the forest department staff at Uyilatti village near Kotagiri.
AJT John Singh, former dean of Wildlife Institute of India told TNIE that he had been demanding The Nilgiris district administration and forest department authorities to remove chain-link fences since 2014.
"In this regard, I met then Collector P Shankar and conveyed the inconvenience faced by the wild animals due to the presence of the fences and urged the need to remove them. However six years on, nothing has happened and animals continue to suffer," he added.
"The forest department should immediately conduct a survey to identify where the fences are laid and remove them since it is endangering the lives of wild animals. Spotted deer, barking deer, among many others, are facing difficulties in crossing the area. Sometimes an animal gets entangled in the fence leading to it losing its life," he said.
K Kalidass of Osai, a city-based environmental organisation said that the forest department itself has placed chain-link fences between Kotagiri-Ooty Road and Doddabetta areas.
"Though the intention of the department is to prevent humans from trespassing into the forest, it also limits free movement of the animals, especially during night. However, fences should be laid at forest boundaries to prevent wild elephants from damaging crops at farmlands."
When contacted, a senior official from forest department confirmed that the free movement of animals is being obstructed.
The official added that the department would not be able to take any action against people for setting up fences because it is being laid on their own property.
"We will take action against the land owner only when an animal gets killed due to the fence," the official added.
Deer rescued
The forest department staff rescued a male spotted deer that was found injured at a farmland in Nanjundapuram, on Monday. Farmers who spotted the animal informed the forest department. Authorities, who arrived at the spot provided first-aid treatment to the animal. The deer was later released into the Chinnamalai forest.