THE UNSUNG WARRIORS IN WILDLIFE PROTECTION

It has always been the many faceless men, those foot soldiers who suffered most, who have died. It is they make a nation -    F.Sionil Jose 

 

In a recent publication on tiger conservation in Tamil Nadu state in the South Pole column of the Chennai edition’s Times of India to coincide with the International Tiger Day 2022, I have outlined the role of anti-poaching system in the protection of tigers and their habitats. This global event has been observed on the 29th July every year across the tiger range nations since 2010, when it was first organized as the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia. Along with the preservation of the tiger species, the day also aims to protect and expand their habitats. Many international wildlife organizations such as the World Wildlife Forum (WWF), the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the Smithsonian Institute also observe International Tiger Day.

 Having recognized that 97 per cent of the global wild tigers had disappeared in the last century, with about only 3,000 of them surviving, this symbolic event was mooted by International animal organizations to raise awareness on the decline of wild tiger numbers, to take stock of the results of tiger conservation work and to encourage the celebration of success stories. In the historic timeframe, tiger is now confined only to a minor subset, covering 7 percent area of its original distribution range in the 13 range countries.

                                                  Times of India clipping

Tx20 Agenda of 2010 and progress milestones

The 2010 meet launched a tiger recovery agenda namely ‘Global Tiger Initiative process’ where the participating governments agreed to the ‘Tx2 goal’ - that is to double wild tiger numbers by 2022. To the scientific community and administrative echelons, familiar with the multitude of severe odds operating continuously against the survival of this majestic, mega carnivore in their natural habitats, Tx2 simply seemed to be a grandiose target. Because some of the debilitating factors such as habitat loss, climate change impacts, hunting and poaching, and avenge killing continue to threaten the remaining tiger population.

Tiger numbers counted across the host nations during the last decade vouch for it. At global level, most tiger range countries are nowhere near the Tx2 finishing line. According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Global Tiger Forum, the number of wild tigers has gone up to 3,890 in 2016 from the earlier 2010 estimate of 3,200, marking a mere 22 per cent increase in the population. The IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species Assessment, led by global wild cat conservation organization Panthera has reported that the global tiger population has stabilized and increased to an estimated number of 4,500 in 2022, much short of the goal of 6000+ tigers. These increases are attributed to improved survey methods including expanded survey areas and enhanced protection.

India Shining

Fortunately for India, the situation is on a positive footing. The nation’s last quadrennial assessment carried out in 2018 put the number of tigers at 2,967. The results of 2022 tiger census are underway. Estimated to have grown at the annual compounding rate of 6 per cent as recorded during the 2006-2018 period, the computed population of the striped cats in the country in 2022 could have crossed the Tx2 doubling mark with 3700+ tigers in its range states from its number of 1706 reported in 2010.

                                Growth of tiger numbers between 2006 and 2018 

In the corresponding periods of 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 four-yearly surveys, wild tiger count in Tamil Nadu’s forests had registered correspondingly higher growth rate and the relevant numbers were 76, 163, 229, 264 for the respective years. In my above paper, I made a brief mention of the elaborate anti-poaching network that had been put in place in interior and vulnerable tiger habitats within the sanctuaries and national parks of Tamil Nadu state to prevent the menace of hunting and poaching of this poster species- much before the range nations agreed upon the ambitious agenda of doubling the tiger numbers by 2022.

Tracing the genesis of anti-poaching in Madras State

A peep into the past of anti-poaching establishment in Tamil Nadu reveals that it was initiated by a Non-Governmental Organization called Nilgiri Game Association formed during 1877 in British India, later version of which was Niligiri Wildlife and Environment Association (NWEA, which unfortunately ceases to exist as on date). Recognizing that the population of game animals in the Nilgiri plateau was rapidly declining in the face of indiscriminate gaming, the Association among other things, established check gates in various parts of the Nilgiris and engaged anti poaching watchers to man them with a view to prevent unauthorized hunting and control poaching. The intention was clearly to reserve the right of hunting and shooting of game animals to the members of the Association alone and nothing beyond. The Association in its new tag went on to work in tandem with the Nilgiris forest administration by gathering intelligence information about movement of suspicious people in the forest and their dubious activities such as poaching of wildlife for meat, skin and tusk and promptly passing them on to the District Forest Officer for action. Otherwise, in the state controlled reserved forests, the long-tested system of range administration with beat perambulation and patrol by the Forest Guard- Reserve Watcher duo only existed for over a century.

The sheer enormity of size of a forest beat, sometimes measuring as large as 3000-5000 ha and the inadequacy in protection infrastructure had begun to make gaping holes in the forest management umbrella and made a mockery of its protection. Given the growing intrusion of smugglers and poachers into the forests for wood smuggling and animal poaching, the beat system of protection soon proved grossly insufficient and totally mismatched the requirements to face the onslaught from illegal intruders. When the forest brigand Veerppan’s writ ran large with successive episodes of tusker killing in the North eastern outer slopes of the Nilgiris reached its peak in the mid 1980s, some innovation kicked in from the District Forest Officer (DFO) at local level, who mobilized non-plan funds to commence temporary forest patrol camps with local tribal men at some old, unused trekking sheds to perambulate and patrol areas susceptible for hunting and poaching along with beat staff. Three such camps were begun in Nilgiris North division’s Anaikatti, Mangalppatti and Thengumarahada between 1986 and 1989 at the pioneering initiative of Thiru K.Chidambaram,IFS, the then DFO of the area. This could be considered as a forerunner for what was to follow.

Emergence of Mudumalai model

Poaching pressure in the adjacent Mudumalai sanctuary in the district too was severe, given its location bordering three states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Mudumalai supports abundant populations of spotted deer, sambhar and mega herbivores such as gaur and elephant besides the big cats like tiger and leopard. Interstate poaching gangs would indulge in hunting for venison and elephant poaching and give a slip into the neighbouring state. Crime graph jumped up. The then Wildlife Warden of Mudumalai Thiru A.Udhayan, IFS swiftly responded by installing nine anti poaching camps in vulnerable locations in 1997. Each camp engaged 2-3 tribal men to work with the regular protection staff.

Functioning initially as day-time perambulation units, these camps were soon upgraded to 24 hour operational sites. By 2000 when I joined as Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle having jurisdiction over Mudumalai, the number of camps was increased to 16. Requisite infrastructure like camp shed, elephant proof trench, water facility (where necessary), solar lighting, wireless, provision of wet and dry food rations etc were provided to make round the clock working of the camp effective. It worked on a pattern of rotating men on a weekly basis. The system got extended to the adjoining Nilgiris North, South and Gudalur forest divisions too. The camps were located in a manner to cover a perambulation radius of 5-6 km. Men in the camp would move around 10-15 km in a day looking for suspected movement of people. In the process, they began making detailed noting of animal movement, evidence of illegal tree felling, occurrence of forest fire etc in a register, which was getting verified by inspecting higher officials. In a way, the strategy helped preventing wildlife crimes and reducing the department’s response time to challenge any poaching attempt. Besides, time lag in reporting of natural and unnatural animal mortality in the wild got reduced.

The anti poaching network proved effective in putting down poaching significantly. In fact, while on patrol the team came face to face with members of poaching gang on several occasions that helped to apprehend them with seizures immediately after commission of an offence or even before it was executed. In an incident in the initial years, exchange of fire between the staff and poachers resulted in death of one reserve watcher. Being a government employee, the reserve watcher got the ex-gratia relief. A well meaning member of the NWEA Thiru (Late) A.C.Soundararajan had an apprehension as to what would happen if some anti poaching tribal watcher, a temporary hand, succumbed in such an encounter. He consulted the District officers of forest department in Nilgiris and with their concurrence enrolled all anti poaching watchers into a Janatha Group Insurance Scheme in a Public sector Insurance Company. For a one-time premium of Rs 60, the insured would be compensated with Rs. one lakh in the event of a death while on duty. A big sum for a poor tribal family those days! It was a rare gesture from the NWEA which paid the premium amount for the initially insured watchers from the Association funds. All subsequent induction into the scheme was funded by the Forest department. The first to avail this financial relief was one Thiru Seegan, a tribal anti poaching watcher of Mudumalai who lost his life in an encounter with a bison poaching gang during 2003. With the move in the right direction from the field offices, forest department was in a position to obtain a sanction of an ex-gratia of Rs. 3 lakh from the state government for the deceased watcher’s family, which was the first such case for a temporary watcher. Further as a symbol of solidarity, staff of Coimbatore circle at my initiative, voluntarily contributed an amount of about Rs.1.26 lakh that was given to the watcher’s family.

Its spread:

As the system started bearing results, the anti poaching watchers came to be recognized with uniforms. Discussion in the interstate protection meetings with adjoining states and deliberations in national workshops and seminars resulted in extension of this new-found protection mechanism to most of the protected areas across the country. Having seen the success of the system, the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Government of India and the States started to make budgetary allocation of funds for operating the anti-poaching network. With the launch of more and more tiger reserves, this system got strengthened. Thanks to the intensification of anti poaching efforts with standard operating norms organized poaching has declined. Today, this model of protection, engaging the local tribal has come to stay as an important component in forest conservation.

As the temporary watchers continued in service for a reasonably longer period, they clamoured for permanent position in the department. With no future in sight in any work place, dedication tends to give way to complacence. Recognizing the need to plan career progress for them, Forest department in Tamil Nadu issued enabling Government orders in 2012 to absorb the anti poaching watchers who completed 10 years as anti poaching watcher in the position of supernumerary reserve watchers. With over 1100 anti poaching watchers in the roll of TN Forest department, the demand by their Association for permanent position after certain time of continuous engagement in protection tasks continues.

In any organization engaged with resource protection, contribution of foot warriors and associated field staff is immense. But many times, their sacrifice during the call of duty go unrecorded and unnoticed. They mostly remain unsung heroes. It needs to be understood that mainstreaming the role of these field formations into the organizational framework will yield rich dividends. In an unique event of its sort, based on a proposal from the Government of Tamil Nadu, Ministry of Environment and Forests conferred a posthumous gallantry award on Thiru Seegan of Mudumalai, the deceased anti poaching watcher in 2006 for his outstanding contribution to the cause of wildlife.

In this regard, it is encouraging to note that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had begun to recognize exemplary performance of front line staff by granting awards and evolved a set of guidelines for the same. The NTCA has presented rewards to field staff of about six TRs during the International Tiger Day celebrations at Chandrapur, Maharashtra on the 29^th July 2022. Three anti poaching watchers of Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve were chosen for this honour in recognition of their role in the live capture of the man-eating tiger of Mudumalai division MDT 23 in October 2021. The award included cash reward of Rs. one lakh and a citation.

                                NTCA award function on 29th July 2022

Let the forest departments and the Governments continue to recognize and support the valuable services of these front line warriors in forest and wildlife protection.