COIMBATORE: A large number of empty liquor bottles dumped in the Chelukkady reserve forest in the Gudalur forest division allegedly by locals and tourists have raised concern over the safety of wild animals and their free movement inside the forest.
A recent picture of the carcass of a male tiger, which died after being caught in a snare, being found amid a mound of empty liquor bottles near a tea plantation, sparked questions about the effectiveness of inspection by field-level staff inside reserve forest areas.
Animal lovers have also urged Gudallur forest officials to take steps to prevent dumping of liquor bottles inside forests. “There is a high chance of a tiger or a leopard stamping on broken bottles and harming their feet when they go in search of prey.
It would be a difficult to identify if the animals are injured or not and it is our duty to ensure that animals have the space to safely roam in forest areas and the department must take stringent action to stop irresponsible human behaviour,” said N Sadiq Ali, founder of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT).
“We agree that the forest department is short-staffed. We are ready to assist the department in patrolling through our volunteers. We can identify empty bottles or snares placed by poachers during surprise raids,” he said. Responding to the incident, forest officials said liquor bottles were old and they could have been dumped by the local residents, and the place was cleaned recently. So far, no animal was injured, forest sources said.
“We had blocked the mud road leading to an estate, and since the spot is an isolated area, people drink at the spot and leave the bottles behind. We are also advising people not to enter forest areas,” an official said.